'*^ 


GEK.  SIR  wu!^ u'ik  ■  ' 


/ 


THE    TOWER    FROM    WITHIN 


BT  THE   SAME   AUTHOR 


A   SOLDIER'S    MEMORIES 

Fourth  Thmsand. 

THE  SPANISH-AMERICAN  WAR 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  GUIDES, 
ETC. 


••^•■••^■'^— "■■^iiiO:; 


X?^ 


O 


THE  TOWER 
FROM  WITHIN 


BY 

MAJOR-GENERAL 
SIR    GEORGE    YOUNGHUSBAND 

K.C.M.G.,  K.C.I.E.,  C.B. 
ILLUSTRATED 


NEW   YORK 
THE    GEORGE    H.    DORAN    COMPANY 


Pint  Edition     2500.     Septentbo ,  1918. 
Second  Edi lion  \tfn.    January,     igiQ. 


PKIMTED    hY    WILLIAM    BREKDON    AND    SON      ITO.,    PLYMOUTH,    ENGLAND 


DEDICATED 

BY    KIND   PERMISSION 

TO 

THE   CONSTABLE   OF   THE   TOWER 

FIELD-MARSHAL    SIR    EVELYN    WOOD, 

G.C.B..   G.C.M.G.,   V.C. 


APOLOGIA 

IT  requires  some  hardihood  to  write  afresh  the  story 
of  the  Tower  of  London,  whilst  so  many  able  and 
complete  accounts  are  in  existence.  But  perhaps 
not  often  before  has  the  tale  been  told  by  one 
who  lives  within  these  ancient  walls.  The  literary  palate 
also  sometimes  requires  a  change,  and  those  who  may 
pass  by  a  book  ot  two  generations  back,  are  perhaps 
tempted  to  take  up  a  new  presentment  of  the  same 
subject ;  though  it  be  merely  a  case  of  old  wine  in  new 
bottles.  In  the  hope  of  thus  again  interesting  the  English 
speaking  races  in  the  great  past,  of  which  the  Tower  of 
London  is  the  symbol  and  monument,  this  book  is  with 
much  diffidence  written. 

GEORGE   YOUNGHUSBAND. 

St.  Thomas'  Tower, 

Tower  of  London, 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

THE   TOWER    OF   LONDON  ,agk 

The  cradle  of  tlie  British  race — The  oldest  palace  and  fortress  ia 
Europe — On  the  site  of  a  Roman  fortress — William  the  Con- 
queror its  founder — La  Tour  Blanche — Julius  Caesar's  Tower 
— The  moat  of  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion — Area  covered  by  the 
Tower — The  King's  Palace — Tournaments  within  its  walls — 
A  State  prison  and  place  of  Torture — The  Tower  in  decay — 
Queen  Victoria  and  the  architect  Salvin — Restoration — The 
human  history — Royal  and  Ducal  prisoners — Home  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Bath — Courts  of  Justice — The  Mint — 
Dungeons  and  torture-chamber       .         •         .         ,         ,         i 

CHAPTER  n 

THE    FORTRESS   FROM    WITHIN 

La  Tour  Blanche  or  the  White  Tower — The  Due  d'Orleans  a 
prisoner — An  illustration  of  his  life  in  the  Tower — Dimensions 
of  the  White  Tower — The  basement — Sub-crypt  of  St.  John 
— Dungeon  and  Little  Ease — A  curious  entrance — The  main 
floor — Military  relics — Crypt  of  St.  John — Block  and  Axe — 
Tortures — The  Banqueting  Hall — Ancient  arms  and  equip- 
ment— St.  John's  Chapel — The  Council,'.  Chamber — Apart- 
ments of  the  King — Historic  trials — Horse  armoury — Tower 
Green — Those  executed  on  it — The  scaffold — Distinguished 
spectators — An'  execution  described — The  ravens — The  Lieu- 
tenant's Lodgings — Gaoler  warders'  quarters — Lady  Jane 
Grey  and  Arthur,  Earl  of  Essex — The  Bloody,  Tower — Its 
tragic  history    .  .  .         .  .         .         .         .         .7 

CHAPTER  HI 

THE    FORTRFSS    FROM    WITHIN {cOfltinUed) 

The  Beauchamp  Tower— St.  Thomas'  Tower— The  Wakefield 
Tower — The  Devereux  Tower — The  Martin  Tower — Col. 
Blood's  attempt  to  steal  the  crown  from  it — The  Bowyer 
Tower—The    Brick    Tower— The   Constable's   Tower— The 


X  THE  TOWER   FROM  WITHIN 

PAGE 

Broad  Arrow  Tower — The  Salt  Tower — The  Well  Tower — 
The  Cradle  Tower — Waterloo  Barracks — Middle  and 
By^vard  Towers — The  Lion  Tower  and  Menagerie — Taverns 
within  and  without — Ghosts — Anne  Boleyn — Lord  Lovat       .       25 

CHAPTER  IV 

THE   CONSTABLE   OF   THE   TOWER 

First  appointed  by  the  Conqueror — One  hundred  and  thirty-four 
Constables — And  the  Lieutenant — Pay  and  perquisites  of  the 
Constable — "  Through  pride  and  contempt  " — Free  oysters 
and  free  fishing — Cattle  off  London  Bridge — Swans  that  swam 
below — Rushes  for  his  carpet — Carts  that  fell  in  the  ditch — 
Sometimes  Archbishop  as  well  as  Constable — The  ceremony  of 
inducting  the  Constable — The  Constable  beats  the  bounds  of 
the  Tower  Liberties — A  procession  of  one  thousand — A  cold 
collation  at  his  Grace's  expense — Some  distinguished  Con- 
stables— Geoffrey  de  Mandeville — The  Earl  of  Essex  prefers 
highway  robbery — The  Duke  of  Exeter  and  his  daughter — 
Sir  Robert  Brackenbury — The  murder  of  the  Princes — The 
Lieutenant's  Lodgings  built  by  Henry  VHI — The  Constable 
leaves  the  Tbwer-^The  ■  Earl  of  Essex  and  the  Knights 
Templar — His  coffin  hangs  between  two  trees  for  twenty 
years — Thomas  a  Becket,  Archbishop  and  Constable — His 
military  career — His  murder  by  the  four  knights — A  saint 
dethroned — Other  prelates  who  were  Constables — William 
Longchamp — Hugh  de  Bigod,  Earl  of  Norfolk — The  Iron 
Duke — Sir  John  Fox  Burgoyne — His  sepulture — Field- 
Marshal  Lord  Napier  of  Magdala — Field-Marshal  Sir  Evelyn 
Wood 48 

CHAPTER  V 

THE    LIEUTENANT 

The  Lieutenant's  ancient  office — His  pay  ^20  per  annum — His 
emoluments — "  Of  daynties  a  certayne  quantitie  " — Out- 
witted by  Sir  William  Seymour — Perquisites  abolished  for 
fixed  pay — Sir  Allan  Apsley's  salary  ;^25oo — The  Lieutenant's 
Lodgings — Name  changed  to  "  King's  House  " — Now  official 
abode  of  the  Major  and  Resident  Governor — The  Lieutenant 
in  Tudor  and  Stuart  days — Sir  John  Brydges — Sir  John  Peyton 
— Sir  George  Harvey — Sir  William  Waad — Sir  Gervase 
Helwyss — Sir  Bevil  Skelton,  the  last  resident  Lieutenant — 
The  Lieutenant's  table — And  the  company  thereat — The 
Deputy-Lieutenant  or  Lieutenant-Governor — Lord  de  Ros 
the  last — The  Majors  of  the  Towers  since  1690 — The  Major 
and  Resident  Governor      .......       6^ 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER  VI 

THE    lieutenant's    LODGINGS    AND    THE    BELL   TOWER 

PAGE 

The  Lieutenant's  Lodgings— Built  by  Henry  VHI— The  Bell  Tower 
— Prisoners  of  distinction — The  belfry — The  prisoners'  rooms 
— The  Council  Chamber — Tablets — The  Lieutenant's  table — 
Sir  Thomas  More — His  execution — Story  of  his  head — Bishop 
of  Rochester — Old  and  infirm  but  executed — Princess  Eliza- 
beth— Her  fear  at  entering — The  Prisoners'  Walk — Released — 
Her  second  entry  as  Queen — Sir  Thomas  Wyat — Attacks  the 
Tower — Captured  and  put  to  the  rack — Hanged,  drawn,  and 
quartered — Lady  Katherine  Grey — Gives  birth  to  a  son  in  the 
Bell  Tower — Christened  over  the  bones  of  his  two  grand- 
fathers— Lady  Arabella  Stuart — James  Duke  of  Monmouth — 
Lady  Margaret  Douglas — Lord  Nithsdale's  escape — The 
Scottish  Lords — Lord  Lovat's  body  exposed  for  hire — The 
last  victim  of  the  block — No  shadows  of  the  past         .  .       73 

CHAPTER  VH 

THE   YEOMEN    WARDERS 

Their  ancient  origin — The  Keepers  of  the  Gate — Incorporated 
with  the  Yeomen  of  the  Guard — Kept  the  door  at  King 
George's  coronation — On  the  spot  where  the  Conqueror  was 
crowned — Henry  Earl  of  Richmond — The  warder's  petition 
to  the  Duke  of  Somerset — All  pensioned  sergeants  of  the 
Army — The  Chief  Warder — The  Ceremony  of  the  Keys — 
Extracts  from  the  Warder's  Order  Book — John  of  London — 
A  varlet  at  ij''  a  day — The  origin  of  the  ceremony — A 
prisoner's  uppermost  garment  as  perquisite — The  Yeoman 
Gaoler — Carries  the  axe — The  sign  of  the  axe — The  Warder's 
toast — Ancient  fees  to  become  a  Warder — The  days  of  pur- 
chase— The  Duke  of  Wellington's  reform — Extracts  from 
orders — An  American  officer — His  joyful  imprisonment — A 
previous  American  prisoner  in  1683 — The  historic  role  of  the 
Yeomen  Warders       .....,, 


CHAPTER  VIII 

KNIGHTS  OF  THE  BATH 


Ancient  connection  of  the  Order  with  the  Tower — Its  origin — 
Bodily  and  spiritual  cleansing  before|knighthood — The  knights 
and  their  ventures — ^The  King  orders  a  bath — The  ancient 
ceremony — Henry  IV  makes   forty-six  knights — Their  baths 


93 


xii  THE  TOWER   FROM  WITHIN 

PAGE 

ia  the  White  Tower— The  oath  of  a  Knight  of  the  Bath— The 
Icnight  goes  to  bed— His  night  vigil— Watching  his  arras— 
In  the  King's  train  to  Westminster — ^The  ceremony  in  Henry 
VI's  reign — Described  in  full — An  expensive  inclination — 
Thirteen  knights  as  valets— The  Earl  Marshal  takes  his  horse 
as  a  perqusite — "  A  newly  wedded  wife  " — ^The  white  lace — 
The    knight's    armour — The    procedure    of    to-day — "  Rise, 

Sir "—£joo   share    towards    a    ball — ^^50    for   a  C.B. — 

Extension  of  the  Order 105 

CHAPTER  IX 

THE   TWO    QUEENS 

Queen  Anne  Boleyn— Record  of  the  trial— The  original  bag  and 
manuscript—Her  personal  appearance  and  charm  of  manner — 
A  daughter  of  yeoman  stock — Introduced  at  Court — Marries 
the  King — Three  happy  years — Ambassadors  on  the  trial — 
The  fete  at  Greenwich — Imprisoned  in  the  Tower — The 
indictment— The  preliminary  enquiry — The  King's  royal 
tjody — Its  inward  displeasure  and  heaviness — The  trial  and 
sentence — To  be  burned  or  beheaded  as  shall  please  the  King — 
Anne  Boleyn's  room  in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings — "  Anne  " 
inscribed — Her  letter  to  the  King — Found  amongst  Earl  of 
Essex  papers — Her  trial  more  fully  described — Her  dress  and 
demeanour — The  executioner  from  Calais — By  sword  rather 
than  by  axe — ^Anne  Boleyn's  last  days — Her  dress  at  her 
execution — Last  words  and  last  deeds — Coffined  in  an  arrow 
chest — Buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula— Queen  Katherine 
Howard — The  fifth  wife — Honourable,  clean,  and  maidenly — 
Thirteen  months  of  marriage — The  informer  Lascelles — The 
Archbishop's  letter  to  the  King— The  King's  incredulity—' 
Enquiry  ordered — Some  unknightly  gentlemen — Justly  hanged 
— ^The  Queen  attainted  by  Parliament — Sentenced  to  death — 
Lady  Rochford  shares  her  fate— Otwell  Johnson's  account  of 
the  execution — Queen  Katherine  Howard  buried  in  St.  Peter's 
ad  Vincula        .         .  •  •  •         •  •         •  .     1 20 

CHAPTER  X 

THE  TWO  DUKE  = 

"  Between  two  Queens  "—The  Duke  of  Somerset,  Lord  Protector 
— Guardian  of  the  boy  King — The  boy  King's  admiration  for 
John  Dudley— The  latter's  ambitions— Trial  of  the  Duke  of 
Somerset— The  boy  King's  diary— The'  Duke's  popularity- 
Trial — Found  guilty  of  felony — His  execution  ordered  on 
Tower  Hill — A  reprieve  .'' — Disappointment — His  last  words 
—Buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula— The  Duke  of  Northumber- 


CONTENTS  xiii 

PAGE 

land — Proclaims    Lady    Jane    Grey    Queen — Defeated    near 
Cambridge —  Lodged  in  the  Tower — His  trial  for  rebellion — 
Sentenced  to  death — His  renunciation — The  day  of  execution 
— Speech  from  the  scaffold — Buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula", 
next  the  Duke  of  Somerset  .  .  .  .  .         •     I43 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE    QUEEN    OF    NINE    DAYS 

Lady  Jane  Grey — Her  dangerous  relatives — Father  and  father-in-'^ 
law — Proclaimed  Queen — Arrives  at  the  Tower — Dons  the 
robes  and  jewels  of  Sovereignty — Deposed  and  imprisoned  in 
the  Tower — "  A  place  not  easy  to  leave  " — Lord  Guildford 
Dudley  her  husband — The  Gentleman  Gaoler — A  dinner 
party — Converse  thereat — Lady  Jane  tried  at  the  Guildhall — 
The  Duke  of  Suffolk's  insurrection  seals  her  fate — Execution 
ordered — Sees  her  husband's  liveless  corpse  carried  by — Her 
own  execution  follows — Her  fearless  demeanour — Her  prayers 
and  words — "  Lord,  into  thy  hands  " — Lies  before  the  altar  in 
St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula  .  .  .  .  .  .  -157 

CHAPTER  XH 

THE    KNIGHT   ADVENTURER 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh  three  times  prisoner  in  the  Tower — His  first  : 
misadventure — A  maid  of  honour  to  the  Queen — Marriage 
leads  to  the  Tower — Queen  Elizabeth  much  displeased — A 
theatrical  fracas — The  golden  bridge  to  royal  favour — The 
"  Madre  de  Dios  " — Her  precious  cargo — ^2,500,000 — The 
Queen's  share — Ransom  of  Raleigh — The  Queen  dies — James  I 
dislikes  Raleigh  heartily — Tried  for  treason — Second  imprison- 
ment in  the  Tower — Eleven  years  in  the  Bloody  Tower — The 
Balsam  of  Guiana — The  Prince  of  Wales  dies  of  it — James  I 
baits  the  bears — The  potato  and  tobacco — The  second 
Expedition  to  Guiana — Failure — Return  to  the  Tower — 
Tried  again — Sentenced  to  death — Executed  in  Palace  Yard — 
His  head  embalmed  and  taken  by  his  wife     ....      169 

CHAPTER  Xni 

THE   UNCROWNED    KING 

James  Duke  of  Monmouth — His  popularity  and  early  days — 
Marriage  and  rapid  rise  to  power — Anna  Scott,  Countess  of 
Buccleugh — Makes  a  bid  for  the  throne — Defeated  at  Sedge- 
moor — Captured     by     a     militiaman — ;^5000     reward — The 


xiv  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

PAGE 

Duke's  rules  of  life — Interview  with  the  Kiag — Sent  to  the 
Tower — King  James's  letter  to  William  of  Orange — Lady 
Henrietta  Wentworth — Public  execution  ordered — "  Man  in 
the  Iron  Mask  " — Gay  and  debonair  on  the  scaffold — Feels 
the  edge  of  the  axe — His  declaration — His  harrowing  execution 
— Laid  beneath  the  altar  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula  .  .     1 8l 


CHAPTER  XIV 

LIFE   AND    DEATH    IN    THE   TOWER 

Robert  Devereui,  Earl  of  Essex — His  boyhood — Attracts  Queen 
Elizabeth — Refuses  to  kiss  her — Early  a  soldier — Rapid  rise — 
Annoys  the  Queen — Annoys  her  stiU  more  by  marrjdng — 
Again  in  the  field — Governor  of  Ireland — Relinquishes  it — 
The  Queen  '•  with  her  hair  about  her  face  " — Essex  tried  and 
condemned,  but  reprieved — Attempts  to  seize  the  Queen — ^A 
dash  for  the  Tower — Besieged  at  Drury  House — Capitulates — 
To  the  Tower  as  a  prisoner — Tried  and  condemned — The 
Devereui  Tower — Lady  Nottingham  and  the  ring — Executed 
on  Tower  Green — Buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula — The  Duke 
of  Suffolk's  head — Still  well  preserved — The  Duke  of  Norfolk 
— His  many  intrigues — Howard  House — The  letter  under  the 
mattress — Sentence  and  death — ^Another  turbulent  noble — 
Lord  Grey  de  Wilton — ^Assaults  Lord  Southampton — Con- 
spiracies— ^The  farce  at  Winchester — Death  in  the  Tower — 
Lady  Arabella  Stuart — Her  career — Escape  and  capture — 
Imprisoned  in  the  Tower — Dies  Insane — Buried  in  Westminster 
Abbey — Arthur  Capel,  Earl  of  Essex — Suspicious  death  in  the 
Tower — ^Lieutenant  Lodi — Sir  Roger  Casement     .  .  .189 


CHAPTER  XV 


"  By  torture  strange  " — Illegal  but  allowed — Henry  VIII  and 
Queen  Elizabeth — The  rack — The"  Duke  of  Exeter's  daughter  " 
—The  one-man  rack — The  "  Scavenger's  daughter  " — The 
Gauntlets — The  bilboes — The  Spanish  coUar — Thumbscrews — 
The  brakes — A  nameless  torture — The  peine  forte  et  dure — 
Legal  forms  of  torture — Father  Gerard  tortured — The  Torture 
Chamber  in  the  Tower — '  Hang  thou  then,  till  you  rot  " — 
German  torture  of  to-day — Father  Gerard's  escape — Anne 
Askew  on  the  rack — The  Lieutenant  intervenes — Burnt  alive 
— Damport  tortured  by  the  brakes — Guy  Fawkes — His  trial 
and  torture — The  King's  letter — "  Hanged  in  chains  " — ^A 
Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  executed — Abolition  of  Torture       .     217 


CONTENTS  XV 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE    CHAVELS    IN    THE   TOWER 

PAG£ 

Four  chapels  or  oratories — St.  John's  the  Evangelist  in  the  White 
Tower — ^Founded  by  the  Conqueror — Enriched  by  Henry  HI 
— Knights  of  the  Bath  and  their  vigil — Ancient  windows — 
Many  historic  scenes — Changes  of  religion — Dismantled  as  a 
chapel  by  Charles  H — ^Used  as  a  store-house  for  records — 
Restored  to  public  worship  by  Queen  Victoria — St.  Peter  ad 
Vincula — The  Prisoners'  Chapel — Original  chapel  built  by 
Henry  I — Present  chapel  by  Edward  I — Improved  by  Henry  III 
and  Henry  VIII — Its  tragic  history — The  Committee  of  1876 — 
How  the  bones  of  the  mighty  dead  are  disposed — Restoration 
under  Queen  Victoria — The  brass  tablet — The  three  Lords — 
The  organ — Monuments — Communion  plate — Register  of 
Births,  Deaths,  and  Marriages — Some  noted  personages — The 
bell — The  Highland  deserters — ^Their  fate — Memorial  windows, 
their  need — The  procession  of  warders — The  oratory  in  the 
Wakefield  Tower — Murder  of  Henry  VI — The  oratory  of 
St.  Thomas  a  Becket  .  .  .  .  •  •  -233 

CHAPTER  XVII 

ANCIENT   ARMS    AND   ARMOUR    IN    THE   TOWER 

Ai-moury  in  the  White  Tower — How  arranged — Horse  armour 
and  foot  armour — Royal  armour — Henry  VIII — Charles  I — 
The  Earl  of  Leicester  and  other  nobles  and  knights — Boy 
Prince's  armour — A  baby  suit — James  II — Japanese  armour — 
Helmets — Mask  helmet  of  Henry  VIII — A  shrapnel  helmet — 
Steel  skull  caps — Shields — Pistol  shields — Lantern  shields — 
Spurs — With  inscription — Henry  VIII's  walking-stick — Horse- 
man's hammer — Battle-axes — Swords — Daggers — Bayonets — 
Bows  and  cross-bows — Guns  and  rifles — Henry  VIII's  breech- 
loading  gun — Charles  I's  "  birding  piece  " — Flintlocks — Pistols 
and  revolvers    .........     259 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE   JEWEL    HOUSE 

The  regalia  of  old — Kings  with  their  crowns  in  battle — The 
regalia  at  Westminster — Theft  by  a  monk — Permanently 
placed  in  the  Tower — The  crown  frequently  pawned — 
James  I's  list  of  Jewels — Regalia  broken  up  and  destroyed  by 
Commonwealth — Value   of   the   crown — King   Alfred's   gold 


XTl 


THE  TOWER   FROM  WITHIN 


wire  crown — Colonel  Blood  steals  the  crown — Receives  a 
pension  of  ;^500  a  year — Safety  of  the  jewels — Practically 
priceless  in  value — The  King's  crowns — The  Queen's  crowns — 
The  Prince  of  Wales'  crown — The  Royal  sceptre — Queen 
Elizabeth's  salt  cellar — The  ampulla — The  old  horn  comb — 
St.  George's  spurs — The  King's  champion — The  jewelled  sword 
— The  most  valuable  in  the  world — Orders  of  knighthood — 
Decorations  for  valour — The  Black  Prince's  ruby — Its  history 
— The  Timur  ruby — The  Koh-i-Nur,  the  Mountain  of  Light — 
Its  history — The  Star  of  Africa — Its  history — The  Stuart 
sapphire — St.  Edward's  sapphire — Queen  Elizabeth's  pearl  ear- 
rings— The  Keeper  of  the  Regalia — His  rank  and  privileges— 
His  salary  and  emoluments — Some  distinguished  Keepers  . 


273 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE    TOWER    IN    TRUST 

Queen  Victoria  and  the  Duke  of  Wellington — Salvin  the  architect 
— The  Victorian  restoration — Sir  John  Taylor — Lord  Redes- 
dale — Sir  Bryan  Milman — The  red  brick  barrack — Salvin"? 
principles — Postern  Row — Tower  Green — The  Bulwark  Gate 
— The  Lien  Tower — Outside  the  Tower  Liberties — A  noble 
inheritance        .........     298 


APPENDICES 

A.  Constables  ...... 

B.  Lieutenants  .     . 

C.  Deputy-Lieutenants  or  Lieutenant-Governors 

D.  Majors  and  Major  and  Resident-Governor     . 

E.  Keepers  of  the  Regalia         .... 

F.  Complete  list  of  the  Regalia 


303 
307 
310 

3" 
312 

313 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

1.  The  Tower  of  London  in  the  Reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth 

Frontispiece 

FACING     PAGE 

2.  William  the  Conqueror  .......  7 

3.  The  Singular  Execution   of  the  Countess  of  Salisbury   .  I2 

4.  Henry  III,  the  Royal  Architect 33 

5.  Beating  the  Bounds  of  the  Tower  Liberties    ...  51 

6.  Head  of  Sir  Thomas  Wyat       ......  81 

7.  The  Yeoman  Gaoler  with  the  Axe           ....  93 

8.  The  Knight  avatching  his  Arms  in  St.  John's  Chapel      .  105 

9.  The  Ceremony  of  the  Knights  of  the  Bath  : — 

(1)  The  Esquire  Arrives  at  Court       .....      106 

(2)  The  Esquire   Serving  the   First   Course  at   the   King's 

Table 106 

(3)  His  Governors  lead  the  Esquire  into  his  Chamber .  .      107 

(4)  The  Esquire  having  his  Hair  "  Rounded  "  and  his  Beard 

Shaved ^oj 

(5)  The  Esquire  is  put  into  a  Bath  by  his  Governors   .  .108 

(6)  The  Esquire  after  the  Ceremony  of  the  Bath  is  put  to 

Bed 108 

(7)  Preceded  by  Minstrels  "  making  a   noise,"  the  Esquire 

proceeds  to  the  Chapel   .  .  .  .  .  .109 

(8)  The  Esquire  gives  Wine  and  Spices  to  those  who  attend 

him 109 

(9)  The  Two  Ancient  Knights  leaving  the  Esquire  to  his 

Vigil  in  the  Chapel no 

(10)  The    Esquire   holding   the    Lighted   Taper   during   the 

reading  of  the  Gospel      .  .  .  .  .  .110 

(11)  One   of    the   Governors    removes   the   Hood    from   the 

Esquire's  Head  on  the  Elevation  of  the  Sacrament       .      in 

(12)  The  Esquire  presenting  to  the  Priest  a  Taper  with  a 

Penny  fixed  in  it     .  .  .  .  .  .  .ill 

(13)  The    Esquire    riding   to    the    King's    Hall,   his    Sword 

carried  hilt  upwards  by  a  "  Young  Gentle  Squire  "     .      112 

(14)  The  Marshal  of  England  takes  the  Esquire's  Horse  as 

his  Perquisite  .  .  .  .  «  .  .113 

xvii 


XVlll 


THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 


FACING     PAGE 


(15)  The    King    bestowing    the    Sword    and    Spurs    on    the 

Esquire  ........ 

(16)  The  King  embraces  the  new  Knight    .  .  .    "      . 

(17)  The  new  Knight  offers  his  Sword  to  God  and  the  Holy 

Church 

(18)  The  Master  Cook  chopping  off  the  new  Knight's  Spurs 

(19)  The  new  Knight  seated  at  Table  like  "  a  Wife  New- 

Wedded  "      

(20)  The  new  Knight  being  served  with  Food  in  his  own 

Chamber       ....... 

(21)  The  Emblem  of  the  White  Lace 

(22)  The  new  Knight  kneels  and  thanks  the  King  for  the 

honour  done  him    ...... 

(23)  The  two  Governors  taking  leave  of  the  new  Knight,  on 

completion  of  the  Ceremonies 

10.  Queen  Anne  Boleyn         ...... 

11.  Queen  Katherine  Howard        ..... 


12.  Edward  Seymour,  Duke  of  Somerset,  the  Lord  Protector     143 

13.  The  Bulwark  Gate,  a.d.  1550  .         .         . 

14.  John  Dudley,  Duke  or  Northumberland 

15.  Lady  Jane  Grey  on  her  Way  to  Execution     . 

16.  James  Duke  of  Monmouth        .... 

17.  Robert  Devereux,  Earl  of  Essex 

18.  Water  Lane,  showing  Raleigh's  Walk,  the  Bloody  Tower, 

the  Wakefield  Tower  (Jewel  House)  on  the  left  ;  and 
St.  Thomas'  Tower,  over  the  Traitor's  Gate,  on  the 
right    .......•••       273 

19.  The  Black  Prince,  with  the  famous  Ruby  in  his  Coronet     286 

20.  A  Prisoner's  First  and  Last  View  of  the  Traitor's  Gate  .     302 


112 
114 

114 
115 

115 

116 
116 

117 

117 
122 
136 


147 
151 
164 
181 
190 


DIAGRAMS 


Chancel  o"  the  Chapel  of   St.   Peter  ad  Vincula,  showing 

probable  positions  of  Interments  up  to  a.d.  1685     .  .     238 

Chancel  of  the  Chapel  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula,  showing  the 

present  position  of  Interments        .  .  .  .  •      240 

Chisel    and    Hammer    with    which    the    "  Star    of    Africa  '' 

Diamond  was  cut   ...•••••     292 


THE   TOWER    FROM    WITHIN 


THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

-    I 

THE  TOWER  OF   LONDON 

The  cradle  of  the  British  race — The  oldest  palace  and  fortress  in 
Europe — On  the  site  of  a  Roman  fortress — William  the  Con- 
queror its  founder — La  Tour  Blanche — Julius  Csesar's  Tower 
— The  moat  of  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion — Area  covered  by  the 
Tower — The  King's  Palace — Tournaments  within  its  walls — 
A  State  prison  and  place  of  torture — The  Tower  in  decay — 
Queen  Victoria  and  architect  Salvin — Restoration — The 
human  history — Royal  and  ducal  prisoners — Home  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Bath — Courts  of  Justice — The  Mint — 
Dungeons  and  torture-chamber. 

THE  Tower  of  London  is  the  cradle  of  the 
English  race.  There  were  Saxons  and  Scots, 
Danes  and  Norsemen,  Celts  and  Cymbrians 
before,  but  when  William  the  Conqueror, 
nearly  nine  hundred  years  ago,  built  the  Tower  there 
came  into  being  the  great  nation,  which  has  since  spread 
its  dominion  over  half  the  world. 

As  a  pillar  on  the  roadside  of  centuries  the  Tower  is 
more  venerable  than  any  combined  palace,  fortress,  and 
State  prison  in  Europe.  It  had  stood  sentry  on  the  Thames 
three  hundred  years  before  the  Doge's  Palace  shone  on 
the  Venetian  lagoon,  or  the  Kremlin  had  reared  its 
minarets  over  Moscow.  The  hoary  Vatican  is  a  palace 
of  youth  beside  the  ancient  Tower.  Not  till  Henry  VHI 
was  King  of  England  were  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
palace  of  the  Louvre.  In  the  days  of  Queen  Elizabeth 
the  site  of  Versailles  was  still  a  pristine  swamp  ;  and  the 


2  THE  TOWER   FROM  WITHIN 

foundations  of  the  Tuileries  were  but  slowly  growing. 
The  Tower  was  already  six  hundred  years  old  when  the 
Escorial  was  built,  and  yet  another  century  elapsed 
before  Sans  Souci  stood  complete.  In  Europe  the  only 
palace  which  approaches  the  Tower  in  antiquity  is  a 
portion  of  the  Burg  at  Vienna ;  yet  even  this  fragment 
of  masonry  can  only  claim  to  have  existed  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  III  of  England.  As  Mecca  is  to  the  Mahomedans, 
so  is  the  Tower  of  London  to  the  countless  millions  who 
speak  the  English  tongue. 

On  the  site  of  an  old  Roman  fortress  on  the  Thames 
a  hasty  fortification  was  first  thrown  up  by  the  Con- 
queror, and  strongly  garrisoned  by  Normans,  both  to 
guard  the  approaches  from  the  sea  and  to  overawe  his 
new  and  reluctant  subjects  ;  but  soon  a  permanent 
fortress,  named  the  Tower  of  London,  took  its  place. 
The  architect  and  engineer  who  designed  and  fashioned 
this  military  work  was  a  prelate,  Gundulph,  Bishop  of 
Rochester  ;  for  ministers  of  the  gospel  in  those  days 
were  not  only  sometimes  soldiers,  but  also  leading  lights 
in  architecture  and  the  building  in  stone.  This  they 
had  learnt  in  erecting  monasteries,  and  churches  and 
cathedrals,  finding  by  experience  that  stone  was  more 
durable  than  wood  or  clay.  The  Bishop  of  Rochester 
was  in  those  days  perhaps  more  famed  for  weeping  than 
for  valour  or  holiness,  but  as  an  architect  his  memory 
stands  clear  to  this  day  in  the  White  Tower.  Centuries 
of  storms  have  beat  against  it  ;  earthquakes  have  striven 
to  shake  it  ;  shot  and  shell  have  been  hurled  against  it  ; 
twice  have  attempts  been  made  to  blow  it  up  ;  the 
German  high-explosive  bombs  have  dropped  around  it. 
Yet  Gundulph's  masterpiece  stands  to-day  unshaken  and 
undismayed  ;  just  as  it  stood  when  William  the  Con- 
queror first  reigned  within  its  halls. 

The  massive  walls  are  fifteen  feet  thick  and  ninety 
feet  high  ;  the  foundations  go  to  unknown  depths,  and 
on  the  four  corners  stand  four  turrets  each  different 
from  the  other.  When  first  it  was  built  the  stone  from 
Caen  was  new  and  white,  and  White  became  its  name. 


THE  TOWER  OF   LONDON  3 

and  this  appearance  was  maintained  artificially  for  many 
centuries.  It  remained  for  a  later  age  to  discontinue 
this  periodical  and  costly  white-washing  ;  nor  does  it 
lose  aught  from  this  economy,  for  to  the  eyes  of  to-day 
old  and  weather-worn  grey  stones  seem  more  in  keeping 
with  an  ancient  fortress  than  a  new  and  white  veneer. 

The  White  Tower  stands  as  has  been  said  on  the  site 
of  a  still  older  fortress  built  by  Julius  Cassar,  and  there 
was  long  confusion  between  the  two.  Both  the  Emperor 
and  the  Conqueror,  with  the  military  eye,  chose  the 
same  spot,  the  one  best  calculated  to  serve  the  double 
problem  each  had  to  face,  security  by  sea  and  land. 
In  proof  thereof  a  portion  of  the  Roman  wall  may 
still  be  seen  close  to  the  south-east  corner  of  the  White 
Tower. 

As  king  succeeded  king  they  built  walls  and  smaller 
towers  round  the  central  keep,  and  dug  a  deep  and  broad 
moat.  The  chiefest  of  these  royal  architects  was 
Henry  III,  and  he  it  was  who  practically  completed  the 
fortress  in  the  form  it  now  stands.  It  was  to  his  archi- 
tectural genius  amongst  other  works  that  we  owe  the 
Traitors'  Gate,  with  St.  Thomas'  Tower  standing  over 
it  ;  a  span  of  sixty  feet  without  a  keystone.  To  William 
Longchamp,  another  bishop,  under  the  orders  of  Richard 
Coeur  de  Lion,  is  attributed  such  finishing  touches  as  the 
deepening  and  widening  of  the  moat  ;  whilst  Edv/ard  I, 
on  his  return  from  a  crusade  to  the  Holy  Land,  com- 
pleted the  outer  defences. 

The  fortress  is  roughly  square  with  two  lines  of  defen- 
sive walls,  running  round  a  central  keep.  The  central 
keep  is  the  White  Tower,  and  the  defensive  perimetres 
are  known  as  the  Inner  and  Outer  Ballium  Walls.  On 
these  walls  at  intervals  are  placed  small  Towers  as  strong 
points  and  to  give  flank  defence.  How  carefully  this  is 
arranged  may  be  gathered  from  the  ancient  arrow  sHts, 
which  enabled  the  archers  to  command  all  approaches. 
Round  the  outer  ballium  wall  is  King  Richard's  broad 
moat.  The  area  covered  by  the  fortress  is  12  acres  and 
5    rods,   and  the  outside  circumference,  including   the 


4  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

moat,  is  1206  yards.  The  Tower  stands  on  a  slope 
from  Tower  Elill  to  the  river,  but  the  appearance  of  the 
slope  has  partly  disappeared  owing  to  the  digging  of  the 
moat,  and  can  only  be  appreciated  by  noticing  how  much 
Tower  Hill,  at  the  site  of  the  scaffold,  dominates  some 
of  the  Tower  defences.  This  was  doubtless  no  great 
disadvantage  in  old  days  when  hand  to  hand  fighting 
and  escalade  were  the  means  employed  for  storming  a 
fortress.  Even  when  cannon  were  invented  there  was 
nothing  strong  enough  to  batter  these  sturdy  old  walls, 
for  we  read  of  a  cannonade  directed  against  it  at  close 
range  which  did  no  harm.  Many  centuries  afterwards 
these  baflfled  cannon  balls  were  found  amidst  the  sHme 
and  filth  at  the  bottom  of  the  moat. 

The  Tower  buildings  and  ramparts,  and  the  area 
within  the  walls  have  gone  through  many  vicissitudes, 
and  many  adventures.  There  was  a  time  when  it  was  a 
purely  defensive  work,  for  the  personal  protection  of 
the  sovereign  and  his  sovereignty.  A  visible  sign  and 
portent  of  his  power,  much  as  a  sceptre  and  orb  are  the 
more  peaceful  insignia  of  British  sovereignty.  For  the 
accommodation  of  the  king  and  his  nobles  grew  up 
State  apartments  and  quarters,  and  rough  shelters  under 
the  ramparts  for  the  soldiers.  Inside  also  were  stored 
ammunition  and  food  and  stores  and  treasure,  so  that  it 
might  remain  the  fount  of  supphes  and  money  and  arms 
and  ammunition,  and  be  capable  also  of  withstanding  a 
siege. 

As  laws  and  lawyers  were  grafted  on  the  nation,  the 
Tower  in  turn  became  the  scene  of  great  trials  such  as 
have  not  been  seen  before  or  since.  With  laws  and  their 
penalties  came  prisons,  and  the  greatest  of  these  was  the 
Tower.  It  was  first,  and  for  long,  chiefly  a  State  prison, 
where  only  the  great  offenders  were  held  in  bondage. 
But  later  it  opened  its  gates  much  wider,  and  numbers 
of  all  degrees  were  herded  in.  In  Queen  EHzabeth's 
days  the  Tower  fell  from  its  high  degree  as  a  Royal 
Palace,  for  that  sovereign  had  spent  some  early  days  as  a 
prisoner  therein,  and  felt  no  desire  even  as  a  sovereign  to 


THE  TOWER  OF  LONDON  5 

reside  in  a  spot  where  she  had  spent  months  in  hideous 
suspense  between  Hfe  and  death. 

Deprived  of  royalty  the  Tower  went  down  the  hill 
rapidly,  both  morally  and  architecturally.  It  became 
little  else  than  a  prison  and  a  torture-house  ;  the  very 
name  became  a  terror  in  the  land.  To  be  "  committed 
to  the  Tower  "  was  almost  synonymous  with  death,  rude 
death,  often  unjust  death,  tortured  death.  Inside  the 
place  became  a  hot-bed  of  disease,  dishonesty,  and 
extortion.  Even  so  great  a  person  as  the  Constable  was 
nothing  much  removed  from  a  licensed  extortioner,  on 
what  might  be  termed  somewhat  undignified  lines.  His 
Lieutenant  became  little  less  than  a  hard-hearted  gaoler 
and  grasping  licensed  victualler,  who  fleeced  the  un- 
happy prisoners  exorbitantly  for  their  food,  furniture, 
and  lodging,  and  himself  was  the  landlord  and  profiteer 
of  taverns  within  the  walls.  A  relic  of  one  of  these 
tavern  signs  hangs  from  the  Bell  Tower  adjoining  the 
Lieutenant's  lodgings  to  this  day.  Where  State  apart- 
ments and  Queen's  gardens  fell  into  decay,  sprang  up 
utilitarian  storehouses  and  workshops  ;  every  road  and 
rampart  back  was  blocked  with  mean  buildings,  they 
even  grew  along  the  river  front,  and  almost  hid  from 
view  the  old  ramparts.  The  lesser  Towers  and  walls 
fell  into  ruin  and  decay,  and  it  seemed  at  one  time  as  if 
the  old  place  would  pass  away,  bit  by  bit,  and  be  swallowed 
up  by  the  surrounding  slums,  and  warehouses.  It  was 
not  till  the  reign  of  Queen  Victoria,  who  employed  as 
architect  Salvin,  a  man  of  knowledge  and  sympathy, 
that  definite  and  sustained  efforts  were  made  to  restore 
the  Tower  to  its  former  state.  A  very  notable  success 
was  the  result.  The  place  was  purged,  and  swept  clear 
of  rubbish  and  extraneous  growths  ;  the  Towers  and 
ramparts  were  repaired,  and  where  necessary  rebuilt,  and 
the  whole  place  was  reconstituted  in  accordance,  as  far 
as  possible,  with  the  ancient  plans  which  were  still  on 
record. 

It  is  not,  however,  in  stones  and  mortar  and  castellated 
walls  alone  that  the  Tower  is  the  monument  of  England, 


6  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

but  equally  so  in  its  human  interest.  Through  the 
great  arch  of  the  Traitor's  Gate  passed  to  their 
doom  queens,  and  great  nobles ;  prelates,  soldiers,  and 
statesmen ;  innocent  and  guilty  alike.  Queen  Anne 
Boleyn,  Queen  Katherine  Howard,  the  Lord  Protector 
Somerset,  Lady  Jane  Grey,  John  Dudley  Duke  of 
Northumberland  ;  James  Duke  of  Monmouth  ;  the 
Seven  Bishops.  On  through  the  deep  and  gloomy 
portals  of  the  Bloody  Tower,  they  passed  one  by  one  up 
to  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings.  Thence  a  little  journey 
to  the  scaffold,  and  then  but  a  few  more  steps  to  their 
long  rest  beneath  the  flags  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula. 

Not  only  tragedy  held  sway  in  the  Tower,  for  here 
too  kings  feasted  and  held  high  revelry,  and  hence  set 
forth  for  their  coronation  at  Westminster  ;  here  too  in 
days  of  stress  they  stood  behind  rampart  and  moat.  On 
the  parade  were  held  jaunts  and  tourneys,  and  here  was 
the  ancient  home  of  the  Knights  of  the  Bath.  Here  too 
assembled  the  highest  Courts  of  Judicature,  before  which 
even  queens  were  tried.  Here  within  the  walls  was 
the  Mint  for  the  coin  of  the  realm,  the  treasure,  and  the 
regalia  ;  and  here  stood  the  chief  armoury  and  -place 
d'armes.  A  State  prison  too  with  dungeons  deep  and  dark. 
Under  the  same  roof  a  torture-chamber,  and  a  chapel 
to  the  Most  High.  In  one  great  fortress  the  sovereign, 
and  all  the  emblems  of  sovereignty.  It  was  the  heart 
of  England. 


WII.I.IAM    THE    COMJUKKOU 
lUNKRR    OK   THE   TOWER   OK    LONDON 


II 

THE   FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN 

La  Tour  Blanche  or  the  White  Tower — The  Due  d'Orleans  a 
prisoner — An  illustration  of  his  life  in  the  Tower — Dimensions 
of  the  White  Tower — The  basement — Sub-crypt  of  St.  John 
— Dungeon  and  Little  Ease — A  curious  entrance — The  main 
floor — Military  relics — Crypt  of  St.  John — Block  and  Axe — 
Tortures — The  Banqueting  Hall — Ancient  arms  and  equip- 
ment— St.  John's  Chapel — The  Council  Chamber — Apart- 
ments of  the  king — Historic  trials — Horse  armoury — Tower 
Green — Those  executed  on  it — The  scaffold — Distinguished 
spectators — An  execution  described — The  ravens — The  Lieu- 
tenant's lodgings — Gaoler  warders'  quarters — Lady  Jane 
Grey  and  Arthur  Earl  of  Essex— The  Bloody  Tower — Its 
tragic  history. 

The  White  Tower 

LA  TOUR  BLANCHE,  as  it  was  first  named  by 
the  Normans,  the  White  Tower  of  succeeding 
.  generations  and  of  to-day,  despite  centuries  of 
-^  London  smoke  and  the  dirt  and  dust  of  ages, 
still,  as  of  old,  stands  clear  and  bright  in  the  evening  sun. 
One  of  the  earliest  presentments  of  La  Tour  Blanche 
is  to  be  found  in  the  British  Museum  in  a  book  of  poems 
written  by  Charles  due  d'Orleans,  taken  prisoner  by 
Henry  V  at  the  battle  of  Agincourt  and  held  to  ransom 
in  the  Tower  at  the  handsome  figure  of  300,000  crowns, 
a  sum  which  it  took  no  less  than  twelve  years  to  collect. 
The  Central  Tower  is  shown  brilliantly  white  con- 
trasting with  the  deep  stone  colour  of  St.  Thomas' 
Tower  in  the  foreground  and  the  Byward  Tower  to 
the  left,  and  for  the  better  furtherance  of  a  view  into 
the  interior  a  large  arch  has  been  cut,  by  the  artist, 
in  the  south  face.     Through  this  convenient  aperture 

7 


8  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

may  be  observed  the  Duke  sitting  at  a  table  writing  his 
poems,  whilst  at  the  end  of  the  room  are  grouped  his 
guards  and  attendants.  That  there  may  be  no  mistake 
about  the  Duke  he  is  adorned  with  a  tippet  of  royal 
ermine,  whilst  the  men-at-arms  in  the  background 
wear  white  cuirasses  with  a  large  red  cross,  or  it  may 
be  Sifieur  de  lys,  in  front. 

In  the  same  picture  may  be  observed  the  next  episode 
in  the  adventure,  the  Duke  looking  out  of  a  window  on 
the  west  front,  wearing  ermine  as  before  and  gazing 
longingly  for  the  messenger  who  is  to  bring  his  ransom 
from  France.  Still  in  the  same  picture  we  are  glad 
to  notice  the  messenger  safely  arrived,  and  the  Duke 
embracing  him  outside  the  White  Tower.  A  varlet  is 
holding  a  golden  coloured  horse  apparently  of  immense 
size  on  which  the  messenger  has  arrived,  whilst  two  very 
proud  black  horses,  each  as  large  as  St.  Thomas'  Tower, 
gaze  fiercely  at  the  river.  The  ransom  paid,  the  party 
is  depicted  moving  off  in  procession  through  the  Byward 
Tower,  the  Duke  still  clinging  to  his  ermine  tippet  and 
the  messenger  on  the  golden  horse  bringing  up  the  rear, 
whilst  the  two  black  horses  have  apparently,  in  excess  of 
joy,  swallowed  half  of  each  other.  At  the  top  of  the 
picture  may  be  seen  London  Bridge  with  Westminster 
Abbey  in  the  distance,  and  on  the  river  below  the  bridge 
the  Duke  and  his  followers  rowing  off  in  two  boats  to 
the  ship  which  is  to  carry  them  to  France.  An  eagle 
eye  even  at  this  distance  will  notice  the  Duke's  attach- 
ment to  his  ermine  garment. 

But  quaint  though  this  old  picture  is,  its  interest  is 
increased  in  that  it  shows  the  White  Tower  essentially 
as  it  is  now,  looked  at  from  the  south.  It  is  described 
as  "  a  large  irregular  stone  building,  no  one  side  answer- 
ing to  another,  nor  any  of  its  watch  towers,  of  which 
there  are  four  at  the  top."  The  north  and  south  faces 
measure  now  as  then,  Ii6  feet,  and  the  east  and  west 
faces  96  feet  ;  the  walls  are  90  feet  high,  and  vary  in 
thickness  from  15  feet  at  the  base  to  11  feet  near  the 
summit.     The  south-east  turret  is  not  square  with  the 


THE  FORTRESS  FROM  WITHIN  9 

building.  It  is  particularly  noticeable  that  none  of  the 
four  turrets  are  alike.  The  windows  in  old  days  were 
much  smaller,  and  were  altered  to  their  present  ItaHan 
style  in  the  eighteenth  century.  Christopher  Wren  has 
been  held  up  to  a  mild  obloquy  for  this  alteration  ;  but 
a  plan  dated  1721  exists  in  H.M.  Office  of  Works  show- 
ing the  old  windows.  At  that  date  Christopher  Wren 
was  ninety-one  years  of  age,  and  had  long  given  up 
work. 

Inside  the  White  Tower  first  comes  the  basement, 
formerly  only  to  be  entered  from  the  first  floor.  It  is 
divided  into  two  large  chambers,  the  end  of  the  eastern 
chamber  being  walled  off  to  form  the  sub-crypt  of  St. 
John's  Chapel.  This  basement  was  in  old  fortress  days 
probably  used  for  the  storage  of  food  and  sustenance  for 
the  garrison,  and  there  is  in  the  floor  an  ancient  well 
with  good  water  in  unlimited  quantity.  Later  these 
chambers  were  used  for  the  storing  of  gunpowder  and 
warlike  impedimenta.  The  large  chamber  on  the  eastern 
side  was  the  place  of  torture. 

The  sub-crypt,  as  well  perhaps  as  the  large  chambers, 
were  used  at  one  period  as  dungeons  in  which  consider- 
able numbers  of  prisoners  were  herded  together.  An 
old  oak  door  gives  access  to  the  Little  Ease  which  lies  in 
the  thickness  of  the  wall  between  the  eastern  chamber 
and  the  sub-crypt.  It  now  looks  merely  like  an  archway 
between  the  two.  Tlie  Little  Ease  was  a  dungeon  four 
feet  by  four  feet,  with  a  height  of  nine  or  ten  feet,  and 
must  have  been  quite  dark  and  void  of  all  ventilation 
except  what  came  under  the  doors  on  either  side.  Sir 
Thomas  More  was  one  of  the  best-known  prisoners  in 
the  sub-crypt,  and  amongst  many  others  from  time  to 
time  confined  in  the  Little  Ease  was  Guy  Fawkes.  The 
basement  throughout  has  been  repaved  except  in  the 
sub-crypt,  where  remains  the  same  earth  on  which 
countless  prisoners  have  lain.  Originally,  as  has  been 
mentioned,  entrance  to  the  basement  could  only  be 
effected  from  the  upper  floors  of  the  Tower,  but  some 
three    centuries    ago,    for    convenience    of    storage,    an 


10  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

entrance  was  knocked  through  the  western  wall,  and  so 
solid  and  well  built  is  this  ancient  wall  that  no  props  or 
arched  masonry  have  been  required  to  hold  up  the  roof 
of  the  passage. 

In  the  basement  are  now  arranged  specimens  of  breast- 
plates of  various  dates  and  countries,  and  ancient  guns 
and  mortars  and  the  fearsome  projectiles  which  were 
hurled  from  these. ^ 

The  floor  above  the  basement,  known  as  the  main 
floor,  is  one  huge  hall  divided  down  the  middle  by  a 
massive  arched  wall.  At  intervals  throughout  great 
upright  beams  help  to  support  the  weight  above. 
Probably  on  this  floor  lived  the  soldiers  on  duty  guarding 
the  Keep.  In  this  hall  are  beautifully  arranged  specimens 
of  the  arms  used  by  fighting  men  in  ancient  days  besides 
relics  of  more  recent  warriors  ;  the  great  coat  on  which 
General  Wolfe  lay  mortally  wounded  at  Quebec,  a  uni- 
form coat  of  the  Duke  of  WeUington,  Lord  Wolseley's 
sword,  Lord  Roberts'  revolver,  and  Lord  Kitchener's 
sword. 

At  the  end  of  the  eastern  half  of  the  great  hall  is  the 
crypt  of  St.  John,  which  was  probably  used  at  one  time 
chiefly  as  a  living  room  by  the  monks,  whilst  doubtless  it 
was  also  used  at  periods  as  a  prison.  There  is  a  small 
separate  compartment  off  it  which  has  probably  been  in 
turn  a  place  of  prayer  or  seclusion  for  the  monks,  and 
also  a  secure  dungeon  for  an  important  prisoner.  In 
the  crypt  may  be  seen  the  block  and  axe  used  last  at  the 
execution  of  Lord  Lovat  in  1747.  Here  also  is  a  model 
of  one  form  of  rack,  and  samples  of  other  weapons  of 
torture. 2 

On  the  next  floor  above  is  the  Banqueting  Hall  and 
St.  John's  Chapel.  This  hall  is  of  the  same  shape  and 
design  as  that  below,  and  was  probably  used  not  only 
for  banquets,  as  we  understand  them,  but  was  the  daily 
dining-place  of  the  upper  grades  of  officers  and  oflicials 
who  lived  about  the  Court  and  King.  In  this  hall  are 
now    displayed   interesting   specimens   of    ancient    arms 

*  For  further  details  see  p.  259.  *  See  p.  217. 


THE  FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN  ii 

and  equipment,  amongst  which  is  a  most  valuable 
sword  presented  by  the  Mikado  of  Japan  to  Lord 
Kitchener.  The  blade,  five  hundred  years  old,  is  of  the 
finest  steel  and  temper  and  of  great  historic  and  intrinsic 
value.  It  is  stated  that  it  had  never  been  cleaned  or 
sharpened  for  two  hundred  years,  but  only  wiped  occa- 
sionally and  carefully  with  a  silk  handkerchief. 

St.  John's  Chapel,  the  place  of  devotion  of  the 
Norman  kings  and  their  successors,  which  is  on  this  floor, 
is  dealt  with  in  detail  later. ^ 

On  the  top  floor  of  the  White  Tower  is  the  Council 
Chamber,  at  present  one  large  hall,  as  are  those  below, 
divided  down  the  middle.  This  in  early  days  was 
probably  portioned  off  into  the  personal  living  apart- 
ments of  the  king  and  his  consort,  and  the  hall  in 
which  they  and  high  officers  about  the  Court  took  their 
meals.  In  the  Council  Chamber  were  held  such  great 
and  historic  trials  as  that  of  Queen  Anne  Boleyn. 

In  the  Council  Chamber  is  now  displayed  a  wonderful 
collection  of  armour,  both  of  the  knights  themselves 
and  their  chargers.  At  one  end  of  the  room  may  be 
seen  the  colossal  figure  of  Henry  VIII,  he  and  his  horse 
in  complete  armour.  At  his  left  hand  stands  a  giant  in 
armour,  6  ft.  lo  in.  in  height,  the  armour  weighing 
66  lb.  Near  by  are  knights  on  horseback  fully  equipped 
in  different  patterns  of  armour  and  of  different  periods 
both  as  regards  man  and  beast.  Both  the  class  of  horse 
and  the  weapons  used  as  here  displayed  are  of  special 
interest  to  the  cavalry  soldier.  Richly  inlaid  suits  of 
armour  may  be  seen  belonging  to  boy  princes  and  one 
to  a  mere  child.  In  this  chamber  too  are  exhibited  such 
interesting  items  as  a  breech-loading  gun  belonging  to 
Henry  VIII,  a  shield  through  which  points  a  breech- 
loading  pistol,  and  another  shield  with  a  lantern  throw- 
ing a  bright  fight  forward  and  at  the  same  throwing  the 
holder  into  deeper  shade,  the  two  latter  taken  from  the 
Spanish  Armada  1588.^ 

It  will  be  noticed  that  whenever  possible  stairs  in  the 

I  See  p.  233.      -  For  a  fuller  description  of  the  Armoury  see  p.  259. 


12  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Tower  are  spiral  with  a  right-hand  turn  all  the  way  up 
This  gives  great  advantage  to  the  defender  who  might 
be  driven  up  step  by  step  ;  for  he  would  fight  with  his 
right  hand  free,  whilst  the  assailant  had  only  his  left 
hand  free. 

Tower  Green  and  the  Scaffold 

On  this  Green,  close  to  the  Chapel  of  St.  Peter  ad 
Vincula,  is  the  site  of  the  block  "  within  the  Tower." 
Here  only  the  privileged  few  were  executed,  whilst  the 
majority  of  executions  took  place  outside  in  full  publicity 
on  Tower  Hill,  on  a  site  now  paved  and  railed  in,  and 
included  in  Trinity  Garden.  According  to  ancient 
prints  the  people  of  London  exercised  their  privilege  to 
the  full,  and  grand-stands,  such  as  we  see  at  the  Derby 
or  at  Ascot,  were  packed  with  spectators,  whilst  thousands 
stood  around.  Inside  in  the  comparative  seclusion  of 
the  Tower  only  six  executions  are  known  to  have  taken 
place,  and  these  on  the  spot  where  the  site  of  the  block 
is  marked.  These  were  Queen  Anne  Boleyn,  the  Countess 
of  Salisbury,^  Queen  Katherine  Howard,  Viscountess 
Rochford,  Lady  Jane  Grey,  and  Devereux  Earl  of  Essex, 
in  the  order  named.  No  women  are  recorded  as  having 
been  beheaded  outside  on  Tower  Hill,  which  accounts 
perhaps  for  the  presence  of  Lady  Rochford  in  such  dis- 
tinguished company.  The  Countess  of  Salisbury  was 
a  Plantagenet  of  royal  blood.  The  Earl  of  Essex  was 
granted  this  favour  by  his  good  friend  Queen  Elizabeth. 

The  scaffold  on  the  Green  is  only  a  few  yards  distant 
from  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings  and  the  Bloody  Tower, 
whilst  on  the  right  hand  stands  the  White  Tower,  and 
on  the  left  the  Beauchamp  Tower  and  the  Yeoman 
Gaoler's  quarters.  From  the  windows  of  all  these 
could  the  curious  gaze  on  the  painful  scene.  Still  is 
pointed  out  the  window  from  which  Lady  Jane  Grey 
saw  the  lifeless  body  of  her  husband  carried  back  from 

^  The  Countess  of  Salisbury,  though  71  years  of  age,  somewhat  up  et 
the  usual  decorum  on  such  occasions  by  refusing  to  submit  to  the  axe. 
She  was  pursued  and  hewn  down  by  the  executioner  on  the  scaffold. 


Siirj^-5j!.'irj'.X'"'-u1Joo  niClJii't'niinU'SS  of  ,S;iii.Nl)Jjrv  in  i,*.|i.  4  j 


{Froin  the  British  Miisciiin] 


THE   FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN  13 

execution  on  Tower  Hill,  before  she  in  her  turn  faced 
the  ordeal  on  the  Green.  From  a  window  in  the  White 
Tower  Sir  Thomas  Wyat  saw  the  same  sad  lady  meet 
her  end  ;  whilst  perchance  from  this  sam.e  window  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh  gazed  on  the  death  scene  of  his  enemy 
the  Earl  of  Essex.  The  scaflold  was  a  temporary  erection 
usually  about  five  feet  high,  so  as  to  be  in  full  view  of 
those  who  stood  around,  and  was  removed  after  each 
execution.  It  was  made  of  rough  planks  with  a  railing 
round  draped  in  black,  and  was  littered  with  straw. 
Some  wooden  steps  gave  access  at  one  end.  On  the 
scaf  old  was  the  block,  and  by  it  a  basket  half  filled  with 
sawdust  into  which  the  head  was  to  drop. 

The  executioner,  generally  dressed  in  some  tight- 
fitting  black  costume,  and  with  a  mask  to  disguise  his 
features,  stood  at  one  side  leaning  on  his  axe,  whilst  an 
assistant  stood  opposite.  On  to  the  scafTold,  besides  the 
priest,  two  or  three  near  friends  were  generally  allowed 
to  accompany  the  doomed  person.  It  was  open  to  the 
Sheriffs  or  others  responsible  for  the  execution  to  have 
the  prisoner  bound,  but  in  all  historical  cases,  except 
that  of  the  Countess  of  Salisbury,  there  was  no  necessity 
for  this  procedure,  the  prisoner  being  perfectly  resigned 
and  obeying  at  once  any  instructions  given.  In  many 
cases  the  signal  for  the  descent  of  the  axe  was  given  by 
the  prisoner,  either  by  stretching  out  his  hands  or  other- 
wise. A  handkerchief  was  usually  bound  over  the  eyes, 
though  this  too  was  omitted,  at  their  own  request,  by 
some  who  had  to  suffer.  After  the  execution  this  hand- 
kerchief was  at  once  torn  off  by  the  executioner,  and 
the  head  held  up  for  all  to  see,  generally  with  the  words 
"  Behold  the  head  of  a  traitor." 

A  skilled  executioner  with  a  sharp  axe  would  perform 
his  duty  with  one  blow,  in  which  case  death  must  have 
been  instantaneous,  and  practically  painless.  Some- 
times, however,  from  nervousness,  or  want  of  skill,  the 
blows  had  to  be  repeated,  causing  undoubted  anguish, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  Duke  of  Monmouth. ^     After  the 

'■  See  p.  187. 


14  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

execution  the  body  and  head  weie  usually  placed  in  one 
chest,  and  buried  hurriedly  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula. 
These  graves  were  sometimes  only  two  feet  deep.  The 
heads  of  "  traitors  "  so  called  were,  however,  not  un- 
commonly placed  on  the  spikes  of  the  gate  on  London 
Bridge  as  a  warning  to  all ;  but  those  executed  on  the 
Green  seem  to  have  escaped  this  indignity. 

Round  and  about  the  site  of  the  ancient  scaffold,  or 
sitting  silent  on  a  bench  near  by,  may  be  seen  the  historic 
lavens  of  the  Tower.  No  doubt  when  forests  grew 
close  up  to  the  moat  the  turrets  of  the  old  Tower  made 
an  ideal  place  in  which  ravens  could  build  their  nests, 
and  rear  future  generations  of  Tower  ravens.  But  as 
the  city  grew  around  and  the  forests  receded,  and  with 
them  fields  for  forage,  the  ravens  would  no  longer  nest 
or  breed  in  their  old  haunts.  They  have  therefore 
since  then  from  time  to  time  had  to  be  replaced  by 
new  blood  from  outside.  The  present  birds  were  given 
to  the  Tower  by  Lord  Dunraven,  and  one  of  them  is 
now  of  considerable  age. 

It  would  be  of  historic  interest  if  those  whose  ancestors 
have  suffered  at  the  Tower  would  send  from  their  homes 
successors  to  the  old  ravens,  as  they  die  off,  and  thus 
maintain  a  very  old  tradition  in  a  manner  well  in 
keeping. 

To  the  south  of  the  Green  are  the  Lieutenant's 
Lodgings  of  historic  fame,  about  which  a  whole  history 
might  be  written,  and  which  is  dealt  with  more  in 
detail  later.^ 

The  Yeoman  Gaoler's  quarters,  which  are  on  Tower 
Green  nearly  facing  the  block,  have  also  many  historic 
associations,  for  here  were  often  imprisoned  those  for 
whom  accommodation  could  not  be  found  in  the 
Lieutenant's  Lodgings.  Of  these  the  most  celebrated 
was  Lady  Jane  Grey,^  and  amongst  others  of  note  are 
Arthur  Capel,  Earl  of  Essex,  in  1683.^  He  is  said  to  have 
occupied  the  room  to  the  left  of  the  doorway  as  you 

1  See^p.  ;.3.  "  See  p.  157. 

3  See  p.  214. 


THE  FORTRESS  FROM  WITHIN  15 

enter,  whilst  Lady  Jane  Grey  very  probably  had  a  room 
on  the  first  floor. 

On  the  south  side  of  Tower  Green  is  the  entrance  to  the 
Bloody  Tower. 

The  Bloody  Tower^ 
This  Tower  of  ill  omen  is  chiefly  connected  in  the 
minds  of  all  with  the  murder  of  the  young  Princes,  so 
long  ago  as  1483.  These  were  the  boy  king,  Edward  V, 
twelve  years  old,  and  his  Httle  brother  Richard  Duke  of 
York,  their  murder  being  ascribed  to  Richard  of  Glou- 
cester, their  uncle.  The  circanstances  connected  with 
this  pathetic  tragedy  are  suspicious  enough,  and  one 
arraigned  on  existing  evidence  whose  name  was  already 
connected  with  the  murder  of  Henry  VI,  and  the  death 
of  George  Duke  of  Clarence,  whose  uncontested  path 
to  the  throne  lay  over  the  dead  bodies  of  these  two 
boys,  would  have  a  meagre  chance  of  acquittal  before  a 
modern  jury.  The  Princes  had,  with  due  pomp  and 
circumstance,  but  to  the  prophetic  dread  of  their 
mother,  been  conducted  to  the  Tower,  the  elder  brother 
for  his  coronation,  and  the  younger  to  bear  him  company. 
Sir  Robert  Brackenbury  was  Constable  of  the  Tower, 
and  to  him  as  he  was  at  his  prayers  in  St.  John's  Chapel 
came  one  John  Green,  a  messenger  from  Richard,  with 
a  letter.  This  letter  contained  instructions  for  the 
murder  of  the  Princes,  but  the  Constable  turned  in 
anger  on  the  messenger,  and  swore  he  would  have  no 
hand  in  "  so  mean  and  bestial  a  deed."  But  Richard 
was  not  to  be  turned  from  his  purpose,  and  selecting  a 
more  wilHng  agent  sent  Sir  James  Tyrrel,  with  orders 
that  the  Constable  was  to  hand  over  to  him  the  keys  of 
the  Tower  for  one  night.  The  Constable  suspecting 
foul  play  reluctantly  obeyed.  In  the  dead  of  that 
August  night  Tyrrel's  three  bloodhounds,  WiUiam 
Slaughter,  a  warder.  Miles  Forest,  a  professional  assassin, 

1  It  is  not  certain  whether  the  name  originated  with  the  murder  of 
the  young  Princes,  or  was  acquired  through  the  succession  of  tragedies 
enacted  within  its  walls. 


i6  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

and  John  Dighton,  ruffian  and  horse-keeper,  crept  in 
through  the  western  entrance  along  the  narrow  passage 
to  the  Princes'  chamber.  There  together  in  one  bed 
they  lay  peacefully  asleep.  One  man  carried  a  shaded 
light  whilst  the  other  two  crept  silently  on  to  their 
quarry.  One  boy  woke  and  raised  a  cry  and  was 
smothered  with  a  pillow,  whilst  the  other  was  stabbed 
to  death  with  a  dagger.  Sir  James  Tyrrel,  satisfying 
himself  that  the  work  had  been  well  done,  ordered  the 
bodies  to  be  buried,  and  himself  hastened  oft  to  Warwick 
to  give  the  good  tidings  to  Richard. 

The  assassins  took  thv.  bodies  down  and  through  a 
subway  to  the  Wakefield  Tower,  and  there  buried  them 
lightly  in  the  basement. 

When  Sir  Robert  Brackenbury  next  day  took  over  his 
duties  again  he  made  enquiries,  and  being  told  of  this 
hasty  burial  ordered  the  bodies  to  be  removed  and 
buried  by  the  priest  secretly.  This  he  did  under  the 
stairs  leading  up  to  the  White  Tower  on  the  south  side 
and  close  to  the  Wakefield  Tower.  The  place  of  burial 
was  known  to  Sir  Robert  Brackenbury,  but  he  told  no 
one,  and  being  himself  killed  at  the  battle  of  Bosworth, 
the  secret  was  long  kept.  It  was  not  till  two  centuries 
later,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II,  that  in  the  course  of 
some  alterations  the  bones  of  the  young  Princes  were 
found  in  the  spot  indicated,  and  were  by  him  ordered 
to  be  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

The  reader  will  be  consoled  to  learn  that  tardy  fate 
eventually  overtook  Sir  James  Tyrrel,  and  that  nineteen 
years  later  he  was  executed  on  Tower  Hill,  though  not 
for  this  crime. 

The  murder  of  the  Princes  was  the  first  great  tragedy 
in  this  building,  but  it  was  followed  by  many  others. 
Cranmer,  Ridley,  and  Latimer,  the  martyrs  of  Queen 
Mary's  reign,  were  imprisoned  in  one  room  in  the 
Bloody  Tower,  and  thence  daily  found  their  way  along 
the  terrace,  known  later  as  Raleigh's  Walk,  to  dine  at 
the  Lieutenant's  table  in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings. 
This  official  in  those  days  had,  it  may  be  remembered, 


THE   FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN  17 

the  contract  for  the  feed  and  maintenance  of  prisoners 
of  distinction  ;  and  as  touching  the  Bishops  the  records 
show  that  the  allowance  per  week  for  feeding  Ridley, 
Bishop  of  London,  was  ^i  13s.,  whilst  6s.  8d.  was 
allowed  him  for  fire  and  lighting,  and  los.  for  his 
attendants.  Those  were  indeed  evil  days  for  a  prelate 
of  either  church,  for  it  might  blow  hot  or  cold  for  each 
in  turn,  with  the  change  of  sovereigns.  It  was,  for 
instance,  the  same  Archbishop  Cranmer  who  was  head 
of  the  Church  in  the  days  of  Henry  VIII,  and  apparently 
much  in  his  matrimonial  confidence,  who  two  reigns 
later  walked  to  the  stake  at  Oxford.  Not  indeed  because 
he  himself  was  different,  but  because  change  of  sovereigns 
had  turned  a  pillar  of  the  Church  into  a  heretic.  Latimer 
and  Ridley,  leaving  their  prison  in  the  Bloody  Tower, 
shared  the  Archbishop's  fate  ;  for  at  Oxford  may  be 
seen  the  statues  of  these  three  Bishops  erected  on  the 
spot  where  they  suffered  at  the  stake. 

Another  prelate,  John  Leslie,  Bishop  of  Ross,  was  a 
prisoner  for  two  years  in  the  Bloody  Tower,  1570-72, 
in  connection  with  the  Ridolfi  Plot,  but  escaping  the 
scaffold  and  the  fiery  ordeal,  was  banished  to  France. 

The  death  of  Henry  Percy,  Earl  of  Northumberland, 
in  the  Bloody  Tower  had  the  same  elements  of  tragedy 
as  that  of  the  young  Princes,  and  the  circumstances  were 
suspiciously  alike.  This  was  in  the  reign  of  Queen 
Elizabeth.  The  Earl  of  Northumberland  and  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh  were  friends  and  fellow-prisoners  on  the  same 
account,  high  treason,  with  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  some- 
where in  the  background.  The  Earl  had  not  been  brought 
to  trial,  but  after  a  year  of  not  too  irksome  imprisonment 
came  to  him  the  midnight  assassin.  During  the  day  of 
Sunday,  June  21st,  1585,  his  three  personal  servants  were 
removed  and  placed  under  arrest  on  some  trumped-up 
charge  by  Sir  Christopher  Hatton,  the  Lord  Keeper,  and 
in  their  place  was  sent  one  Thomas  Bailiff  to  wait  upon 
his  lordship.  In  the  middle  of  that  same  night  the  said 
Bailiff  raised  the  hue  and  cry,  and  when  the  watch 
hurried  to  him  declared  that  the  Earl  had  committed 


1 8  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

suicide.  Sir  Owen  Hopton,  the  Lieutenant,  was  hastily 
summoned,  and  found  the  Earl  lying  in  bed  with  the 
bed-clothes  drawn  up  over  him  in  orderly  fashion. 
PulHng  them  down  he  found  the  bed  soaked  with  blood, 
which  had  flown  from  dagger  thrusts  in  the  left  breast. 
The  Lieutenant  immediately  went  off  to  report  the 
occurrence,  and  on  his  return  noticed  a  pistol  lying  on 
the  ground  which  had  not  been  there  before.  Bailiff"  at 
once  volunteered  the  suggestion  that  the  Earl  had  first 
shot  himself  and  then  thrown  the  pistol  away.  This 
seemed  to  Sir  Owen  Hopton  an  extraordinary  state- 
ment considering  that  he  had  seen  the  dagger  marks 
himself,  nor  would  he  beheve  that  a  dying  man  would 
so  carefully  arrange  his  bed-clothes  over  him.  These 
views  he  apparently  gave  in  his  evidence,  but  this  was 
suppressed  and  the  official  announcement  made  with 
the  aid  of  a  servile  coroner's  inquest  was,  that  the  Earl 
had  died  by  his  own  hand.  The  reason  given  being 
that  not  only  had  his  heart  failed  him  at  the  thought  of 
the  axe,  but  that  suicide  saved  his  estates  from  the 
confiscation  which  was  part  of  the  punishment  that 
accompanied   execution    for   high   treason.      The   exact 

words  ascribed  to  him  were  "  The  B [meaning  Her 

Gracious  Majesty  Queen  Elizabeth]  shall  not  have  my 
estates."  The  tale  was  little  believed  at  the  time,  and 
popular  opinion,  though  muttered  with  baited  breath, 
was  that  another  political  murder  had  added  to  the 
sinister  reputation  of  the  Bloody  Tower. 

Of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  and  his  long  imprisonment  in 
the  Bloody  Tower  a  fuller  account  has  been  reserved  for 
the  chapter  which  describes  the  career  of  that  historic 
knight.^ 

As  time  went  on  and  civilization  progressed  so  did 
the  art  of  murder.  The  old  brute  days  of  the  dagger 
gave  place  to  the  subtler  poison  of  the  Renaissance.  To 
cover  up  and  do  away  with  the  traces  of  murders  such  as 
those  of  the  young  Princes,  and  the  Earl  of  Northumber- 
land, became  increasingly  difficult  ;   but  Italy  had  found 

'  See  p    169, 


THE  FORTRESS  FROM  WITHIN  19 

a  new  and  safer  way,  and  thence  it  came  to  the  Bloody 
Tower.  Sir  Thomas  Overbury,  who  was  the  first  victim 
to  this  stride  in  civihzation,  was  passed  out  of  the  Bloody 
Tower  and  through  the  portals  of  out  and  beyond  by 
a  woman,  whose  patron  saint  might  well  have  been 
Lucretia  Borgia. 

Sir  Thomas  was  an  Englishman  of  strong  sentiments 
in  certain  directions,  and  as  such  was  much  opposed  to 
the  marriage  of  his  friend  Robert  Carr^  with  Lady 
Frances  Howard,  who  was  married  to  the  Earl  of  Essex, 
but  was  then  Hving  apart  from  her  husband.  Lady 
Essex  was,  historically  speaking,  a  distinctly  unchaste 
lady,  with  manifestly  criminal  instincts.  She  took 
strong  and  vigorous  objection  to  this  interference  with 
her  passions  and  ambitions,  and  resolved  hke  an  even 
more  celebrated  lady  to  demand  "  the  head  of  John  the 
Baptist  on  a  charger."  Sir  Thomas  Overbury  was  the 
John  of  this  tragedy. 

Thereupon  commenced  the  famihar  procedure.  Sir 
Thomas,  at  the  instigation  of  the  Countess,  was  com- 
mitted to  the  Tower,  on  the  sufficiently  vague  charge 
that  he  was  acting  contrary  to  the  orders  of  his  Sovereign 
Lord  the  King.  Parenthetically  anyone  who  disobeys  a 
pohce  notice  may  be  held  to  commit  the  same  crime. 
Safely  in  the  Tower  it  was  necessary  to  remove  there- 
from all  unwilhng  tools  ;  consequently  Sir  William 
Waad,2  the  Lieutenant,  was  induced,  on  a  consideration 
of  ^2,000,3  to  retire,  and  his  place  was  taken  by  Sir 
Gervase  Helvyy^ss,  who  was  bound  by  many  ties  of 
gratitude  to  the  interested  parties,  and  might  so  far  be 
rehed  upon  as  to  refrain  from  putting  inconvenient 
restrictions  on  the  execution  of  further  plans.  Con- 
tinuing on  established  fines  the  Warder  in  charge  of  the 
Bloody  Tower  was  transferred  elsewhere,  and  in  his 
place  was  appointed  Richard  Weston,  on  the  recom- 
mendation of  Robert  Carr.  Weston  was  an  exceedingly 
bad   character  ;     by   trade   a   tailor,   but   open   to    any 

"■  Later  Earl  of  Somerset.  ^  See  p.  68. 

'  Two  payments  of  ;^i,400  and  £600  made  ostensibly  by  his  successor. 


20  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

lucrative  undertaking.  With  him  outside  the  Tower 
were  associated  Lobel  a  French  chemist,  Franklin  a 
chemist  on  Tower  Hill,  and  a  Mrs.  Turner  who  kept  a 
brothel,  or  as  it  was  then  euphoniously  called,  a  dis- 
pensary for  love-philtres.  To  these  were  added  a  skilled 
foreign  poisoner  named  Mayerne,  whose  English  assistant 
was  one  Reeve. 

During  the  tentative,  and  it  must  be  acknowledged 
not  very  skilled  efforts  of  this  gang,  Sir  Thomas  Over- 
bury  was  kept  strictly  secluded  from  his  friends.  Even 
his  doctor  was  committed  to  the  Fleet  for  making  an 
attempt  to  see  him  professionally.  As  the  delectable 
Mrs.  Turner  afterwards  confessed.  Sir  Thomas  Over- 
bury  was,  according  to  their  amateur  calculation,  induced 
to  swallow  enough  poison  to  kill  twenty  ordinary  men. 
But  he  was  of  tough  constitution  and  stomach,  and  it 
took  much  to  put  him  in  his  grave.  In  one  of  the  early 
attempts  to  poison  his  wine.  Sir  Gervase  Helw}^ss  to  his 
credit  intervened,  and  threw  the  cup  away.  But  Sir 
Gervase  was  not  intended  to  intervene,  and  probably 
received  a  strong  hint  to  remain  in  his  quarters.  The 
gang  poisoned  the  victim's  food,  they  poisoned  his 
wine  ;  they  mixed  arsenic  with  his  salt,  and  added 
cantharides  to  his  pepper.  But  though  ill,  still  he  lived. 
Then  they  tried  lunar  caustic  with  his  pork,  whilst  aqua- 
fortis, mercury,  powdered  diamonds,  and  ground  spiders 
were  judiciously  mixed  with  other  articles  of  food.  But 
still  he  lived.  Finally  on  the  night  of  September 
I4th-I5th,  1 613,  they  appHed  a  clyster,  and  that  finished 
the  poor  gentleman,  for  next  morning  he  died  in  great 
agony.  The  real  murderess,  however,  was  Lady  Frances 
Howard,  Countess  of  Essex,  as  assuredly  as  was  Jael  the 
wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite,  on  a  previous  well-known 
occasion. 

Sir  Thomas  Overbury,  thus  painfully  disposed  of,  was 
hastily  and  secretly  buried  beneath  the  flags  in  St. 
Peter's  ad  Vincula. 

But  vengeance  is  the  Lord's  and  mightily  He  repaid 
it  !     Three  years  later  who  do  we  see  approaching  the 


THE  FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN  21 

Bloody  Tower,  this  time  as  prisoners,  but  that  same 
criminal  couple,  Robert  Carr  and  Lady  Essex,  now  Earl 
and  Countess  of  Somerset.  The  Lieutenant  hands 
them  up  the  steps,  and  with  every  courtesy  points  out 
the  very  room  in  the  Bloody  Tower  where  Sir  Thomas 
Overbury  was  murdered,  as  the  future  abode  of  his 
murderess.  The  Countess  wellnigh  had  a  lit  and  was  so 
stricken  with  terror  that  she  shrieked,  "  Put  me  not  in 
there,  his  ghost  will  haunt  me,"  and  refused  to  enter  so 
fateful  a  place.  The  Lieutenant,  who  was  a  kind  man, 
gave  way,  and  put  her  in  the  Garden  House,  Raleigh's 
old  laboratory  ;  the  Earl,  however,  he  insisted  should 
take  up  his  abode  in  the  dreaded  chamber. 

Perhaps  the  more  bloodthirsty  would  wish  to  hear 
that  the  Earl  and  Countess  of  Somerset  were  both 
eventually  hanged,  drawn,  and  quartered ;  but  the 
Almighty,  who  knows  best,  had  reserved  for  them  a  fate 
worse  than  a  swift  passage  through  the  portals.  After 
many  years  of  imprisonment  in  the  Tower,  where 
mutual  loathing  and  horror  had  grown  up  between  them, 
fate  sent  them  together  shorn  of  their  estates,  their 
position,  their  power,  of  all  that  made  life  worth  having, 
to  live  together  a  hell  on  earth,  where  each  was  the 
other's  hell.  To  Napoleon,  it  is  said,  St.  Helena  was 
worse  than  death  ;  the  little  house  in  seclusion  where 
the  Somersets  ended  their  days  was  their  St.  Helena. 

Sir  Gervase  Helwyss,  though  a  minor  agent  in  the 
crime,  was  tried,  sentenced,  and  hanged  in  chains,  in  full 
view  of  the  Tower.  Mrs.  Turner,  using,  we  are  told, 
most  unlady-like  language,  was  hanged  at  Tyburn,  as 
were  Weston  and  Franklin. 

Amongst  Members  of  Parliament  who  have  been  too 
free  of  speech  to  please  their  Sovereign,  was  Sir  John 
Eliot,  who  was  by  Charles  I  twice  imprisoned  in  the 
Bloody  Tower  for  this  offence.  There  he  occupied  the 
same  cell  in  which  Sir  Thomas  Overbury  had  died.  On 
the  occasion  of  his  second  offence  he  was  fined  ^^2,000,  a 
very  considerable  sum  in  those  days,  and  ordered  to  be 
kept  at  the  Tower  during  His  Majesty's  pleasure.    Here 


22  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

during  this  enforced  leisure  he  wrote  three  books^  and 
many  letters.  He  died  of  consumption,  accentuated  by 
the  cold  of  his  cell,  four  years  later  in  1632,  and  was 
buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula. 

Another  successor  to  Sir  Thomas  Overbury's  cell  in 
the  Bloody  Tower  v/as  the  redoubtable  John  Felton,-  a 
soldier  of  fortune,  who  in  the  spirit  of  the  primitive 
crusader  had  murdered  "  Steenie,"  Duke  of  Buckingham, 
because  he  thought  him  a  bad  man  and  the  world  the 
better  without  him.  As  is  mentioned  elsewhere^  it  was 
Felton's  sturdy  independence  which  abolished  the  rack 
and  other  tortures  from  the  Tower.  Though  he  escaped 
the  rack  he  was  tried  for  murder,  sentenced  to  death, 
and  executed  at  Tyburn.  Flis  body  was  then  placed  in 
an  iron  cage,  taken  to  Portsmouth,  the  scene  of  the  crime, 
and  there  suspended  tiU  it  had  rotted  away. 

The  Bloody  Tower  in  1641  received  yet  another 
Archbishop  as  a  prisoner.*  This  was  Archbishop  Laud 
who  was  arrested  by  the  Commons  at  Lambeth  Palace, 
in  the  face  of  Charles  I,  and  sent  by  water  to  the  Traitor's 
Gate.  His  crime  was,  what  seemed  to  the  Puritans,  a 
leaning  towards  Popery,  the  savage  cry  which  had  sent 
many  a  good  man  and  woman  to  the  stake.  After  three 
years'  imprisonment  in  the  Bloody  Tower,  during  which 
the  Archbishop  wrote  much,  he  was  tried  in  West- 
minster Hall.  He  was  found  guilty  of  "  attempting  to 
subvert  Rehgion  and  the  fundamental  laws  of  the 
Realm  "  and  sentenced  to  death.  His  execution  took 
place  on  Tower  Hill,  January  loth,  1644,  whilst  a  loud 
and  hostile  crowd  surrounded  the  scaffold.  The  body 
and  head  were  immediately  conveyed  to  the  Church  of 
All  Hallows,  Barking,  which  lies  within  a  stone's  throw 
of  the  scaifold  and  there  remained  till  after  the 
Restoration.  In  July,  1663,  Archbishop  Laud's  coffin 
was   disinterred    and    removed   to    St.   John's    College, 

^  Jure  Magistratis,  Apology  for  Socrates,  and  The  Monarchy  of  Men. 

*  See  p.  231.  '  See  p.  232. 

*  Williams,  Archbishop  of  York,  was  also  a  prisoner  in  another  part 
of  the  Tower  at  the  same  time. 


THE   FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN  23 

Oxford,  a  college  he  had  founded,  and  where  his  remains 
still  rest. 

But  the  Bloody  Tower  is  celebrated  not  only  for  its 
tragedies,  for  two  great  inventions  were  made  here.  It 
was  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  who,  during  his  imprisonment, 
discovered  the  principle  of  distilling  fresh  water  from 
salt  water;  and  though  the  secret  died  with  him  it 
came  to  life  again  in  a  later  age.  It  need  hardly  be  added 
that  this  discovery  has  been  of  countless  value,  not  only 
to  those  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  but  in  many 
an  arid  spot  like  Aden,  where  life  without  a  good  supply 
of  water  would  be  hard  indeed. 

The  other  inventor  was  Edward  Somerset,  Marquis 
of  Worcester  and  Earl  of  Glamorgan,  who  whilst  a 
prisoner  of  war  in  1652  discovered  from  the  boiling  of  a 
kettle  in  the  Bloody  Tower  the  principle  of  the  steam 
engine,  which  George  Stephenson  in  a  later  age  turned 
to  so  great  account. 

The  Devil  gets  his  due,  on  some  occasions,  and  so  did 
Lord  Chief  Justice  Jeffreys  when,  on  December  12th, 
1688,  he  entered  the  Bloody  Tower  as  a  State  prisoner. 

Soon  after  the  flight  of  James  II,  Jacobite  prisoners 
began  to  flow  into  the  Tower,  and  at  the  head  of  these 
was  the  Unjust  Judge.  So  incensed  were  the  populace 
against  him  of  the  Bloody  Assize  that  the  city  trained 
bands,  now  the  celebrated  regiment  known  as  "  The 
Buffs,"  had  to  turn  out  and  guard  his  conveyance  as  he 
was  conducted  to  the  Tower.  And  a  sorry  spectacle  he 
made  for  a  Lord  Chief  Justice.  He  had  tried  to  escape 
by  sea,  and  hunted  from  one  vessel  to  another,  had 
shaved  off  his  eyebrows,  and  was  covered  with  coal-dust. 
Thinking  he  had  eluded  the  search  parties,  he  went 
ashore  to  the  Red  Cow  Inn  in  Anchor  and  Hope  Alley, 
and  was  drinking  a  tankard  of  ale,  when  one  who  had 
faced  him  in  Court  as  a  prisoner  recognized  the  never- 
to-be-forgotten  features.  To  the  Guildhall  they  hurried 
him,  and  the  warrant  signed  the  city  trained  bands 
pushed  him  through  the  hostile  crowd  to  the  Tower. 
He  was  only  forty-two  years  old,  but  sodden  with  drink 


24  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

and  vice — a  decayed  vessel.  Brandy,  the  craven  spirit, 
and  the  diseases  likely  to  spring  therefrom  killed  him  in 
three  months  ;  a  human  being  who  was  a  pollution  even 
to  a  building  with  the  name  and  history  of  the  Bloody 
Tower.  The  nearest  burial-ground  was  St.  Peter's  ad 
Vincula,  and  there  with  mistaken  perspective  the  Lord 
Chief  Justice  was  laid  in  the  holiest  of  holies,  next  to 
the  bones  of  James,  Duke  of  Monmouth,  and  within  a 
few  feet  of  those  of  Queen  Anne  Boleyn  and  Queen 
Katherine  Howard.  Four  years  later,  however,  the 
decency  of  his  relatives  removed  him  to  the  less  ambitious 
surroundings  of  St.  Mary,  Aldermanbury,  where  his  cofhn, 
inscribed  "  Lord  Chancellor  Jeffreys,"  was  seen  as  late  as 
1810. 

The  Bloody  Tower  stands  over  the  main  entrance  to 
the  inner  defences  and,  unlike  most  of  the  Towers,  is 
square  and  had  probably  a  basement  and  two  storeys.  For 
long  after  its  tragic  period  it  was  used  as  Warders'  quarters, 
but  is  now  again  in  process  of  being  rearranged  as  it  used 
to  be  in  ancient  days  and  is  open  to  visitors.  Outside 
this  Tower,  in  the  south-east  corner  of  Tower  Green, 
was  the  Lieutenant's  Garden  in  which  privileged 
prisoners  were  allowed  to  take  exercise.  The  whole  of 
Tower  Green  and  the  Lieutenant's  Garden  are  now 
paved  over  with  cobble  stones. 

From  the  Bloody  Tower  falls  the  great  portcullis, 
still  in  working  order,  which  closes  the  main  entrance 
to  the  inner  defences. 


Ill 

THE  FORTRESS  FROM  WlTHm—(co7ttinued) 

The  Beauchamp  Tower — St.  Thomas'  Tower — The  Wakefield 
Tower — The  Devereux  Tower — The  Martin  Tower — Col. 
Blood's  attempt  to  steal  the  crown  from  it — The  Bowyer 
Tower — The  Brick  Tower — The  Constable's  Tower — The 
Broad  Arrow  Tower — The  Salt  Tower — The  Well  Tower — 
The  Cradle  Tower — Waterloo  Barracks — Middle  and  Byward 
Towers — The  Lion  Tower  and  Menagerie — Taverns  within 
and  without — Ghosts — Anne  Boleyn — Lord  Lovat 

The  Beauchamp  Tower 

ON  the  west  side  of  Tower  Green  and  facing 
the  site  of  the  block  is  the  Beauchamp  Tower, 
which  in  human  interest  remains  one  of  the 
most  enthraUing  in  the  Tower.  For  though 
its  history  is  not  quite  so  tragic  as  that  of  the  Bloody 
Tower,  it  has  harboured  as  many,  perhaps  even  more, 
prisoners  of  distinction.  It  was  thus  named  after 
Thomas  Beauchamp,  Earl  of  Warwick,  who  was  here 
imprisoned  as  far  back  as  1397,  and  the  walls  are  rich 
with  ancient  inscriptions.  Many,  probably  the  majority 
of  these,  rightly  belong  to  this  Tower,  but  others  were 
removed  from  more  exposed  places  within  the  fortress 
and  let  into  these  walls  for  better  protection  and  pre- 
servation. The  Beauchamp  Tower  is  built  on  the  same 
pattern  as  most  of  the  other  minor  towers  ;  that  is 
more  or  less  semi-circular  in  design,  with  a  basement 
and  two  storeys.  Most  of  the  ancient  inscriptions  have 
been  collected  on  the  walls  of  the  first  floor,  which  at 
one  time  served  as  an  officers'  mess  for  the  battalion  of 
the  Guards  stationed  at  the  Tower.     There  are  in  all 

25 


26  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

ninety-one  inscriptions  on  the  walls,  some  very  beauti- 
fully engraved,  and  all  of  pathetic  interest. 

Perhaps  the  two  most  celebrated  of  the  prisoners  in 
this  Tower  through  many  centuries  were  the  great 
rivals,  the  Duke  of  Somerset^  and  the  Duke  of  Northum- 
berland,^ who  have  left  no  inscriptions.  Indeed  this 
matter  of  inscriptions  often  doubtless  depended  on 
fellow-prisoners,  or  servants  who  had  the  art.  A 
Princess  or  a  Duke,  who  could  perhaps  only  with  difh- 
culty  write  a  letter,  are  not  likely,  even  during  the 
tediousness  of  imprisonment,  to  have  become  skilled 
engravers  in  stone.  As  bearing  this  out  it  may  be  noted 
that  almost  exactly  the  same  words  are  engraved  by 
T.  Miagh  in  the  Beauchamp  Tower  as  are  engraved  in 
the  Bell  Tower  where  T.  Miagh  was  not,  as  far  as  can  be 
gathered,  ever  imprisoned.  Thus  in  the  Bell  Tower  we 
have  "  Bi  tortyre  straynge  my  troyth  was  tried,  yet  of 
my  liberty  denied,"  and  in  the  Beauchamp  Tower  : 

"  By  tortyre  straynge  mi  troyth  was  tryed  yet  of  my 
libertie  denied  1581  Thomas  Myagh," 

which  leads  to  the  suggestion  that  both  inscriptions 
were  made  by  one  hand,  or  possibly  the  spelling  being 
sHghtly  different,  the  one  copied  by  memory  from  the 
other. 

But  done  how  they  were  the  inscriptions  are  each  and 
all  without  doubt  contemporaneous,  and  record  the 
presence  of  actual  prisoners.  There  is  a  very  full  and 
interesting  account  of  all  the  inscriptions  in  this  Tower^ 
which  can  be  dbtained  from  the  Warder  on  duty,  but  it 
may  be  well  to  give  here  a  few  of  the  best,  or  the  most 
interesting. 

Above  the  fireplace  in  the  upper  chamber  we  see  a 
Latin  inscription  which  may  be  translated  : 

"  The  more  suffering  for  Christ  in  this  world  the 
more  glory  with  Christ  in  the  next.    Thou  hast  crowned 

^  See  p.  143.  2  Seep.  151. 

2  Short  Sketch  of  the  Beauchamp  Tower,  by  W^  R.  Dick. 


THE  FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN  27 

Him  with  honour  and  glory,  O  Lord  !    In  memory  ever- 
lasting He  will  be  just.'  ARUNDELL  June  22nd,  1587," 

In  another  part  of  the  room  is  another  inscription  by 
the  same  hand  which  reads  : 

"  It  is  a  reproach  to  be  bound  in  the  cause  of  sin  ; 
but  to  sustain  the  bonds  of  prison  for  the  sake  of  Christ, 
is  the  greatest  glory.    ARUNDEL  26th  May,  1587." 

It  may  be  noticed  that  only  one  final  "  L  "  is  used, 
instead  of  two,  as  in  the  other  inscription. 

This  was  Philip  Howard,  Earl  of  Arundel,  son  of 
Thomas  Howard,  Duke  of  Norfolk,  who  had  himself 
been  beheaded  fourteen  years  before,  for  aspiring  to  the 
hand  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  Philip  Howard's  trouble, 
however,  was  not  matrimonial  but  religious ;  religion 
of  the  fanatical  type,  which  led  an  otherwise  harmless 
nobleman  into  dynastic  intrigues  whilst  so  autocratic  a 
sovereign  as  Queen  Elizabeth  was  on  the  throne.  He 
escaped  the  block,  but  died  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower. ^ 

On  the  right  of  the  same  fireplace  we  find  an  elaborate 
design  with  the  Dudley  crest,  a  lion,  and  a  bear  and  ragged 
staff,  in  the  centre,  and  beneath  it  on  a  scroll  "  John 
Dudley."  This  appertains  to  John  Dudley,  Earl  of 
Warwick,  eldest  son  of  John  Dudley,  Duke  of  Northum- 
berland. He  and  his  four  brothers,  Ambrose,  Robert,^ 
Guildford,  and  Henry,  were  all  here  incarcerated.  The 
Earl  of  Warwick  was  sentenced  to  death  for  treason,  but 
reprieved,  and  died  in  the  Tower  October  21st,  1554. 

Of  Guildford  Dudley  there  is  no  separate  inscription, 
but  the  word  "  JANE  "  is,  according  to  tradition,  his 
handiwork.  His  wife.  Lady  Jane  Grey,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, was  at  the  same  time  a  prisoner  in  the  Gentleman 
Gaoler's  quarters,  within  a  few  yards  of  the  Beauchamp 
Tower. 

Those  were  days  when  little  lightness  of  conduct  was 

^  See  p.  252. 

^  xA.fterwards  released  and  later  created  Earl  of  Leicester  by  Queen 
Elizabeth. 


28  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

allowed,  matrimonial  or  otherwise,  where  Her  Majesty 
was  concerned  ;  thus  amongst  other  prisoners  may  be 
found  "  Ro.  Bainbridge,"  who  above  his  name  has 
depicted  himself  kneeling  in  an  attitude  of  prayer.  His 
offence  was  that  he  had  made  remarks  in  the  House  of 
Commons  displeasing  to  Queen  Elizabeth.  The  more 
cynical  might  to-day  remark,  "  O  for  the  days  of  Queen 
Elizabeth!" 

On  the  left-hand  side  of  the  second  recess  is  an  inscrip- 
tion thus  translated  : 


"  Grief  is  overcome  by  patience  G.  GYFFORD 
Avgvst  S^^  1586" 

This  was  probably  a  pensioner  of  Queen  Elizabeth. 
His  brother,  who  was  involved  in  the  Babington  con- 
spiracy, being  a  prisoner  at  the  same  time.  G.  Gyfford 
also  left  another  well-carved  memorial  of  more  ambitious 
design  on  these  walls.  It  depicts  a  closed  hand  holding 
what  may  be  a  bouquet.  Beneath  is  a  shield  on  which 
are  ten  torteaux  placed  in  rows  of  four,  three,  two,  and 
one.  On  each  side  of  the  shield  is  the  letter  "  G  "  ;  and 
beneath  the  date  1586.  The  inscription  translated 
reads : 

"  An  evil  conscience  makes  men  fear  even  security 
G.  GYFFORd  » 

There  are  several  inscriptions  by  "  Charles  Bailly," 
who  was  evidently  fond  of  the  work  and  did  it  exceed- 
ingly well.  He  was  Flemish  by  birth,  but  whilst  engaged 
as  a  courier,  in  the  interests,  it  was  said,  of  Mary  Queen 
of  Scots,  was  intercepted  with  his  despatches,  and  com- 
mitted to  the  Tower.  There,  in  the  intervals  of  being 
racked,  he  engraved  the  walls  of  his  prison  with  many 
words.  His  best  and  most  apfibitious  effort  is  to  be 
found  on  the  left  of  one  of  the  recesses.  It  is  beautifully 
engraved  in  tablet  form,  and  is  partly  in  Latin  and 
partly  in  Enghsh.  Translated  it  reads  :  "  The  fear  of 
the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom."  "  I.H.S.  X.P.S." 
"  Be  ennemye  to  none."    "  Be  frend  to  one."    "  Anno. 


THE   FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN  29 

D.  1 5  71  10  Sept."  "  The  most  vnhapy  man  in  the  world 
is  he  that  is  not  pacient  in  adversities  ;  For  men  are  not 
killed  with  the  adversities  they  have  bvt  with  ye  im- 
pacience  which  they  svffer."  "  All  who  comes  to 
attend."  "  The  sighs  are  the  true  testimonies  of  my 
anguish  "  "  Act  29^11  Charles  Bailly."  "  Hope  to  the 
end,  and  have  pacience." 

The  family  of  de  la  Pole,  or  Poole  as  they  engrave 
their  name,  had  at  least  three  representatives  amongst 
the  prisoners  of  the  Beauchamp  Tower,  Geffry,  Edmund, 
and  Arthur.  They  were  descendants  of  George,  Duke 
of  Clarence,  of  malmesey  butt  remembrance,  and  were 
thus  of  the  blood  royal.  Having  been,  one  and  the 
other,  mixed  up  with  dynastic  intrigues,  they  were  com- 
mitted to  the  Tower,  and  all  three  died  there.  They 
did  not  indulge  in  long  inscriptions,  generally  only  their 
names  and  dates.  Arthur,  however,  has  two  short 
inscriptions.  The  one  is  :  "  A.  Poole  1564  I.H.S.  To 
serve  God — to  endure  penance — to  obey  fate — is  to 
reign."  And  the  other  :  "  I.H.S.  A  passage  perillus 
makethe  a  port  pleasant.  Ao.  1568  Arthur  Poole  At. 
sue  37  A.P." 

Outside  one  of  the  window-jambs  is  a  mysterious 
inscription  which  reads  "  To  whom  you  tell  the  secret, 
is  at  liberty.  Richard  Blovnt  9  July  A.  1553."  No 
prisoner  of  that  name  can  be  traced,  but  Sir  Richard 
Blount  was  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  at  this  date,  and 
possibly  these  words  contained  either  a  warning,  or  an 
invitation,  to  the  prisoners  within. 

The  Pilgrimage  of  Grace  furnished  many  prisoners, 
for  in  the  upper  room  of  the  Beauchamp  Tower  were 
herded  together  nine  principal  persons.  The  Abbots  of 
Rievaulx,  Fountains  and  Jervaulx  ;  the  Prior  of  Bridling- 
ton ;  Sir  Ingram  Percy  and  Sir  Thomas  Percy,  sons  of 
the  5th  Earl  of  Northumberland  ;  Sir  William  Bulmer, 
Sir  John  Bulmer,  and  Sir  Ralph  Bulmer.  The  Abbot  of 
Jervaulx  left  just  his  name  inscribed  "  Adam  Sedbar, 
Abbas  Jorevalle."  He  was  executed  at  Tyburn  June, 
1537.     Sir  Ingram  Percy  also  left  a  few  words  on  the 


30  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

wall:  "  Wm  be  faithful  INGRAM  PERCY  1537." 
Sir  Thomas  Percy  was  executed  at  Tyburn  the  same 
year  ;  but  Sir  Ingram  was  reprieved  and  died  the  follow- 
ing year. 

The  Bulmers  have  left  only  one  inscription — "  RAVLEF 
BVLMAR  1537."  Sir  Ralph  was  released  after  a  short 
imprisonment.  His  father,  Sir  John,  was  hanged  at 
Tyburn  with  Sir  Thomas  Percy ;  but  Sir  William  Bulmer 
was  released  and  eventually  pardoned. 

Of  the  prelates  the  Abbots  of  Jervaulx  and  Fountains 
were  tried  and  hanged  at  Tyburn  with  the  others. 

Dr.  Thomas  Abel,  who  was  domestic  chaplain  to 
Queen  Katherine  of  Aragon,  has  left  rather  a  curious 
memento.  Above  is  engraved  ^'  THOMAS,"  and  below 
this  is  represented  a  large  bell  with  a  capital  "  A  "  on  its 
side ;  which  pictorial  acrostic  is  easily  enough  deciphered 
when  one  knows  the  doctor's  name,  but  for  long  puzzled 
seekers  after  knowledge.  This  worthy  priest  went  the  way 
of  all  flesh  that  opposed  itself  to  Henry  VIII's  progressive 
matrimonial  projects  ;  the  end  thereof  being  Tower 
Hill  or  Tyburn. 

Both  William  Rame  and  Thomas  Clarke  were 
evidently  skilled  in  the  art  of  engraving  on  stone,  for 
both  have  left  beautifully  carved  inscriptions.  Nothing 
is  known  of  William  Rame,  and  there  is  no  mention  of 
him  in  the  Council  records.  His  inscription,  which  is  in 
English,  reads  : 

"  Better  it  is  to  be  in  the  howse  of  mornyng  than  in 
the  howse  of  banketing  :  the  harte  of  the  wyse  is  in  the 
morning  howse  :  it  is  better  to  have  some  chastening 
then  to  have  over  moche  liberte.  Tere  is  a  tyme  for  all 
things,  a  tyme  to  be  borne  and  a  tyme  to  dye  :  ande  the 
daye  of  deathe  is  better  then  the  daye  of  berthe  :  there 
is  an  ende  of  all  things,  and  the  ende  of  a  thing  is  better 
then  the  begenin  :  be  wyse  ande  pacyente  in  treble, 
for  v^sdom  defendethe  as  well  as  mony  :  use  well  the 
tyme  of  prosperite,  ande  remember  the  tyme  of  mis- 
fortewn  xxii  die  Aprilis  Ano  1559.     William  Rame." 


THE   FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN  31 

Thomas  Clarke  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  long  confined, 
but  who  afterwards  recanted,  and  preached  to  that 
effect  at  St.  Paul's  Cross.  His  very  neat  inscription  in 
English  runs  : 

"  T.C.  I  leve  in  hope  and  I  gave  credit  to  mi  frinde 
in  time  did  stande  me  moste  in  hande,  so  wovlde  I  never 
do  againe,  excepte  I  hade  hime  sver  in  bande,  and  to  al 
men  wishe  I  so  vnless  ye  svssteine  the  leke  lose  as  I  do. 
Vnhappie  is  that  man  whose  actes  doth  procver  the 
miseri  of  this  hovs  in  prison  to  indvre.  1576.  Thomas 
Clarke." 

An  Italian  inscription  of  1541  is  very  well  done  by 
William  Tyrrel,  a  knight  of  Malta,  who  was  imprisoned 
for  treasonable  correspondence.  The  inscription  is 
framed  as  a  shield,  and  translated  reads  : 

"  Since  fortune  hath  chosen  that  my  hope  should  go 
to  the  wind  to  complain,  I  wish  the  time  were  de- 
stroyed :  my  planet  being  ever  sad  and  unpropitious 
Willim  Tyrrel.     1541." 

Tliere  is  a  small  but  very  elaborate  piece  of  armorial 
carving,  the  only  words  distinguishable  being  "  Arma  " 
with  "T.P."  below,  "  1570"  and  "  Peverel."  In  the 
centre  is  a  shield  with  three  sheaves  of  corn  on  it,  and 
below  a  skull.  To  the  right  is  a  crucifix  with  a  heart 
pendant  and  the  word  "  Peverel  "  below.  Outside  this 
is  a  human  skeleton  to  the  waist.  Above  the  central 
shield  are  three  emblems  which  may  be  crusader's  shells 
or  mere  ornamentation.  To  the  left  is  represented  a 
sack,  or  gourd,  or  basket  with  an  open  mouth,  with 
"  Arma  "  beneath  it  and  below  that  "  T.P."  Below 
"  T.P."  is  an  ornamental  device  of  ivy  leaves.  Nothing 
is  known  of  any  Peverel  imprisoned  in  the  Beauchamp 
Tower,  but  Sir  Walter  Scott  weaves  the  name  into  one 
of  his  romances,  and  in  the  course  of  it  imprisons  him 
in  the  Tower.  There  are  Peverels  of  Derbyshire,  and 
doubtless  this  was  one  of  their  ancestors,  for  there  is 
some  connection  between  the  present  armorial  bearings 
of  the  family  and  those  on  the  prison  walls. 


32  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

The  roughly  engraved  "  ThoMAS  Talbot  1462  " 
recalls  a  curious  story.  King  Henry  VI,  a  fugitive  after 
the  battle  of  Level's  Plain,  Hexham,  was  dining  at 
Waddington  Hall,  Lancaster.  Thomas  Talbot  hearing 
of  this  entered,  seized  the  King  and  placed  him  on 
horseback,  tying  his  legs  under  the  horse's  belly,  and 
thus  escorted  him  to  the  Tower  of  London  ;  where  he 
was  later  murdered  by  Richard  of  Gloucester.  Thomas 
Talbot  had  previously  been  engaged  in  the  Wars  of  the 
Roses,  and  when  the  tide  turned  against  his  side,  found 
himself  temporarily  a  prisoner  in  the  Beauchamp  Tower, 
when  he  engraved  his  name  as  above. 

The  plain  words  "  THOMAS  FITZGERALD  "  re- 
call another  ancient  tragedy.  The  9th  Earl  of  Kildare, 
when  Lord  Deputy  of  Ireland,  being  called  to  England 
to  answer  certain  charges,  left  his  son  and  heir  Thomas, 
aged  twenty,  to  reign  in  his  stead.  The  Earl  of  Kildare 
was  seized  and  sent  to  the  Tower  of  London,  and  his 
son  deeming  this  treachery,  called  his  five  uncles  to  his 
assistance,  and  raised  a  rebellion  in  Ireland.  The  King 
had  to  send  troops  over  to  quell  the  rebellion,  and  in 
due  course  Thomas  Fitzgerald  and  his  five  uncles  were 
taken  prisoners,  brought  to  England,  and  committed  to 
the  Tower.  They  were  all  six  hanged  and  quartered  at 
Tyburn  in  1538.  The  Earl  of  Kildare  died  of  grief  in  the 
Tower,  and  is  buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula. 

Such  are  a  few  of  the  four  score  and  ten  tragedies  in 
stone  which  make  the  Beauchamp  Tower  a  lasting 
monument  to  the  memory  of  the  sorrowful  sighing  of 
the  prisoners  of  many  centuries. 

The  basement  and  upper  chambers  of  the  Beauchamp 
Tower  are  now  Warders'  quarters  ;  whilst  the  middle 
floor  where  are  to  be  found  most  of  the  inscriptions  is 
open  to  the  public.  From  this  middle  storey  opens  a 
door  on  to  Princess  Elizabeth's  walk,  a  narrow  track 
which  leads  along  the  high  ramparts  to  the  Bell  Tower. 
Along  this  walk  many  a  State  prisoner  has  taken  his  last 
evening  stroll  and  gazed  his  last  on  the  city  of  London 
and  the  distant  Palace  of  Westminster. 


HKNRY     III 
WHO    BUII.T   THE   TRAITORS'    GATK    AND    ST.    THOMAS'    TOWKK 


THE  FORTRESS  FROM  WITHIN  33 


St.  Thomas'  Tower 

On  the  outer  ballium  wall  and  facing  the  Bloody- 
Tower  is  the  castellated  edifice  which  for  many  cen- 
turies has  been  known  as  St.  Thomas'  Tower.  It  stands 
over  the  Traitor's  Gate,  and  both  are  the  work  of 
Henry  III.  The  Gate  was  built  as  the  main  and  only 
entrance  to  the  Tower  from  the  river  and  the  massive 
fortified  towers  on  either  side  were  erected  to  support 
and  guard  it.  In  the  walls  of  these  towers  may  be 
observed  the  arrow  slits  through  which  the  defenders 
shot  ;  and  it  will  be  noticed  how  carefully  these  are 
arranged,  so  as  to  meet  not  only  direct  attack,  but  to 
enfilade  both  the  entrance,  and  the  moat  to  right  and 
left.  A  portion  of  the  roof  has  been  strengthened  with 
great  beams,  possibly  to  support  heavy  mortars  or 
cannons  in  later  days,  when  Sir  John  Gage  the  Constable 
fired  cannon  balls  across  the  river  at  the  Wyat  rebels  in 

1554- 

The  great  arch  of  the  Traitor's  Gate  has  a  span  of 

sixty  feet  and  is  without  a  keystone,  but  was  not  built 
without  great  difl^iculty.  Twice  it  fell  down  and  twice 
King  Henry  ordered  the  attempt  to  be  renewed.  "  Build 
it  stronger,"  he  said,  and  so  strong  was  it  built  that  it 
stands  unmoved  to  this  day.  To  give  the  succour  of  the 
unseen  hand  he  called  to  the  aid  of  the  workman  the 
spirit  of  Thomas  a  Becket,  and  named  the  supporting 
towers  after  him.  Inside  too  he  built  an  oratory  to  the 
departed  saint,  and  dedicated  it  to  him.  This  oratory  is 
still  preserved  in  the  south-eastern  turret.  At  all  times, 
except  at  low  tide,  the  water  from  the  Thames  flowed 
through  the  arch  up  to  the  steps  at  the  foot  of  the  great 
gateway  which  passes  under  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Bloody  Tower,  but  then  was  merely  a  defensive  work, 
and  boats  passed  under  the  arch  and  tied  up  at  the  foot 
of  the  steps.  To  the  left  of  the  gateway  may  be  seen 
the  original  ring  to  which  the  boats  of  many  a  king  and 
queen  were  tied  for  many  a  century.    When  the  moat 


34  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

was  drained  by  the  Duke  of  Wellington  the  river  was 
blocked  out,  and  now  no  longer  is  there  a  waterway 
under  the  Traitor's  Gate. 

In  St.  Thomas'  Tower  were  originally  quarters  for 
the  soldiers  on  guard,  and  a  large  banqueting-hall, 
besides  kitchens,  and  the  aforementioned  oratory. 
Later,  in  the  days  of  Henry  VIII,  the  interior  was 
divided  up  into  smaller  chambers,  and  used  as  quarters 
either  for  officials  or  for  prisoners. 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh  was  married  to  EHzabeth  Throg- 
morton,  probably  in  the  oratory  of  this  Tower,  and 
amongst  other  noted  prisoners  confined  in  it  were  Lord 
Grey  de  Wilton,  for  a  time  Lady  Arabella  Stuart,  and 
her  husband  Wilham  Seymour,  afterwards  Duke  of 
Somerset.  Lord  Grey  de  Wilton  was  sentenced  to 
death  and  taken  out  to  be  executed,  but  was  there  re- 
prieved and  after  a  long  imprisonment  died  in  the 
room  over  the  Traitor's  Gate.  WiUiam  Seymour  was 
the  same  facetious  gentleman  who  caused  the  rooms 
in  St.  Thomas'  Tower  to  be  very  expensively  furnished, 
hung  with  tapestry,  and  adorned  with  silver  plate  ;  and 
then  ordered  the  bill  to  be  sent  in  to  the  Lieutenant  of 
the  Tower.  He  apparently  was  not  very  closely  guarded 
and  escaped  to  France,  whence  in  due  course  he  returned, 
and  eventually  became  a  Duke,  as  is  duly  set  forth  in  a 
later  page.^ 

St.  Thomas'  Tower  could  never  have  been  a  very 
secure  place  of  imprisonment,  situated  as  it  is  close  to 
the  river  ;  for  this  reason  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  who  in  his 
later  imprisonment  asked  to  be  transferred  there  from 
the  Bloody  Tower  was  refused  permission.  Being  found 
unsafe  it  returned  therefore  to  its  original  role  of  a 
residence  for  ofHcers  or  men  of  the  garrison,  and  later 
still  was  turned  into  an  Infirmary  and  warders'  quarters. 
For  several  generations  now  it  has  been  the  official 
residence  of  the  Keeper  of  His  Majesty's  Regaha. 

From  St.  Thomas'  Tower  to  the  W^akefield  Tower, 
where  the  Crown  Jewels  now  are,  a  bridge  spans  the 

*  See  p.  208. 


THE   FORTRESS  FROM  WITHIN  35 

roadway  somewhat  in  the  fashion  of  the  Bridge  of  Sighs. 
This  gave  access  from  the  Palace  to  the  banqueting-hall 
in  St.  Thomas'  Tower.  The  bridge  fell  into  decay  and 
for  a  time  disappeared,  but  has  been  replaced  according 
to  the  original  design.  There  was  also  a  subterranean 
passage  leading  into  the  Wakefield  Tower.  The  question 
of  the  site  of  the  gruesome  dungeon  into  which  the 
water  flowed  at  high  tide  has  been  much  discussed  ;  but 
it  is  clear  that  it  could  not  have  been  in  the  White  Tower 
or  any  of  the  smaller  towers  on  the  higher  level,  for  the 
tide  could  not  reach  these.  Such  a  dungeon  would 
therefore  more  probably  have  been  in  one  of  the  lower 
sited  towers,  and  not  improbably  beneath  St.  Thomas' 
Tower. 

According  to  a  quaint  old  guide-book  printed  in  1815, 
the  parapet  between  St.  Thomas'  Tower  and  the 
Byward  Tower  was  known  as  the  Ladies'  Line,  "  from 
its  being  much  frequented  on  summer  evenings  by  the 
ladies."  It  is  painful  to  notice  that  owing  to  the  dis- 
tressing height  of  the  parapet  not  much  more  than 
their  hats  could  have  been  visible  to  the  gallants  pacing 
the  wharf  outside. 

The  Wakefield  Tower 

Opposite  St.  Thomas'  Tower  and  to  the  west  of  the 
Bloody  Tower  is  the  Wakefield  Tower,  which,  built  by 
William  Rufus,  was  at  one  time  an  entrance  into  the 
Royal  Palace.  It  may  be  noted  that  to  arrive  at  this 
entrance  one  has  to  turn  a  sharp  corner  after  passing 
through  the  great  gateway  in  the  inner  ballium  wall, 
and  further  that  after  entering  the  actual  door  again  a 
sharp  turn  has  to  be  made.  In  modern  mansions  or 
palaces  the  doorway  straightly  faces  the  approach,  and 
inside  the  door  is  a  large  and  open  hall.  But  in  old  days 
these  odd  turnings  and  twistings  were  made  of  set  pur- 
pose so  as  to  prevent  a  straight  rush  at  a  door,  or  the 
full  use  of  a  battering-ram.  This  Tower  was  given  the 
name  of  Wakefield  alter  William  de  Wakefield,  King's 
Clerk,  who  was  Custodian  of  the  Exchanges  in  1344  ^^^ 


36  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

probably  resided  here.^  In  the  Wakefield  Tower  is  to 
be  seen  the  oratory  in  which  Henry  VI  was  kneeling  in 
prayer  when,  according  to  historians,  he  was  stabbed  by 
Richard  of  Gloucester,  afterwards  Richard  III.  The 
piscina,  ombra,  and  sedela  are  still  to  be  seen,  but  the 
oratory  has  lost  somewhat  of  its  original  character  owing 
to  a  large  Northumbrian-Gothic  window  having  re- 
placed the  small  ancient  windows,  for  the  better  lighting 
of  the  interior  of  this  Tower. 

In  the  Wakefield  Tower,  which  was  long  used  as  a 
repository  for  records,  are  now  displayed  to  great 
advantage  the  Imperial  Regalia,^  whilst  in  the  window 
bays  are  exhibited  the  insignia  of  the  various  Orders  of 
Knighthood,  as  well  as  decorations,  such  as  the  Victoria 
Cross,  bestowed  for  valour  in  the  field. 

In  the  vaults  below  the  Wakefield  Tower,  it  will  be 
remembered,  were  first  buried  the  two  murdered  Princes, 
before  being  removed  to  the  spot  under  the  stairs  lead- 
ing to  the  White  Tower.  It  may  be  interesting  to 
remember  in  future  years  that  the  only  injury  done  by 
the  bombing  of  the  Tower  of  London  by  the  German 
aircraft  was  a  small  window  broken  at  the  entrance  to 
the  Wakefield  Tower.  The  only  living  casualty  which 
resulted  from  the  same  being  one  pigeon,  found  dead 
close  by. 

The  Devereux  Tower 

The  Devereux  Tower,  earlier  known  as  the  Develin 
Tower,  changed  its  name  in  1601  after  Robert  Devereux, 
Earl  of  Essex,  had  been  imprisoned  in  it,  and  has  since 
retained  that  name.  It  consists  of  two  storeys  with 
walls  eleven  feet  thick,  and  has  an  ancient  kitchen  with 
a  vaulted  roof.  Beneath  is  a  dungeon,  and  secret 
passages  led  away  from  this  Tower.  One  of  these  ran 
to  the  Flint  Tower,  and  another  significantly  enough  to 
the  vaults  under  St.  Peter's  Chapel.    There  is  a  winding 

^  Some  authorities,  however,  maintain  that  the  name  was  derived 
from  prisoners  having  been  here  incarcerated  after  the  battle  of  Wake- 
field in  1460  ;  but  the  above  is  the  more  probable  origin. 

'  See  p.  273. 


THE   FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN  37 

staircase  leading  to  two  forbidding  dungeons  con- 
structed in  the  thickness  of  the  wall.  The  Develin  or 
Devereux  Tov/er  dates  from  the  reign  of  Richard  II,  if 
not  earlier.^  It  is  now  the  official  residence  of  the 
officer  commanding  the  Royal  Artillery  at  the  Tower  of 
London. 

The  Martin  Tower 

The  Martin  Tower  was  at  one  time  the  Jewel  House, 
and  it  was  thence  that  Colonel  Blood  stole  the  Crown  in 
the  reign  of  Charles  11.  It  was  originally  built  in  the 
days  of  Henry  III,  but  it  was  modernized  by  Christopher 
Wren,  and  suffered  from  the  fire  of  1841.  There  is  a 
tradition  that  Anne  Boleyn  suffered  part  of  her  im- 
prisonment in  this  Tower,  and  certainly  there  is  an 
inscription  including  the  word  "  BoUeyn  "  in  one  room. 
Possibly  it  was  her  brother  George  Boleyn,  who  is  known 
to  have  been  imprisoned,  here,  who  cut  these  words. 

On  the  south  wall  is  a  sun-dial  made  by  Heriot,  the 
astronomicr  and  mathematician,  when  a  prisoner  in 
Queen  Elizabeth's  reign.  Henry  Percy  the  "  Wizard," 
Earl  of  Northumberland,  was  one  of  the  notable  prisoners 
at  the  same  time  in  this  Tower,  and  the  rampart  walks 
on  either  side  of  the  Martin  Towers  are  still  called 
Northumberland's  Walk.  This  Vv'as  a  son  of  the  Henry 
Percy,  Earl  of  Northumberland,  murdered  in  the  Bloody 
Tower.  He  was  from  his  fiery  nature  known  as  "  Hotspur  " 
amongst  his  northern  neighbours,  and  was  proud  of  being  a 
Percy  amidst  parvenu  peers,  and  upstart  kings.  Flis  ances- 
tors had  been  kings  long  before  William  of  Normandy 
came  to  England.  Thus  when  he  w^as  granted  his  freedom 
through  the  efforts  of  his  son-in-law,  whom  he  thought  a 
low  fellow,  and  not  fit  to  marry  his  daughter,  he  refu3ed 
for  long  to  leave  the  Tower,  \yhen  at  length  he  was 
persuaded  to  come  out  in  semi-triumph,  v/ith  cannons 
roaring  salutes  and  trumpets  blaring  welcome,  he 
noticed  incidentally  some  of  those  whom  he  described  as 
parvenu  peers,  driving  in  coaches  with  six  horses.   Arrived 

*  Dave)^, 


38  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

at  Northumberland  House  (near  the  site  of  the  present 
Northumberland  Avenue),  he  sent  for  his  Master  of  the 
Horse,  and  asked  who  these  persons  were.  On  being 
told,  he  used  the  strong  language  of  the  age,  and  ordered 
that  never  was  his  own  coach  to  be  driven  forth  with 
less  than  eight  horses  ! 

Ambrose  Rookwood,  one  of  the  Guy  Fawkes  con- 
spirators, has  also  carved  his  name  on  one  of  the  walls. 

The  Seven  Bishops^  were  imprisoned  in  one  room  of 
the  Martin  Tower  in  the  reign  of  James  II,  and  em- 
ployed their  leisure  in  carving  several  pious  inscriptions. 
This  scurvy  treatment  was  accorded  to  them  because 
they  refused  to  pay  the  usual  fees  to  the  Lieutenant  of 
the  Tower,  for  their  maintenance  and  accommodation. 

The  origin  of  the  name  "  Martin  "  given  to  this 
Tower  is  not  known,  but  probably  it  was  named  after  a 
prominent  though  now  long- forgotten  ofRcial  who  lived 
in  it.  In  early  times  the  Tower,  now  known  as  the 
Middle  Tower,  was  called  Martin.  It  may  therefore  be 
that  the  said  Martin  was  so  well  known  and  so  long  in 
residence  that  the  quarters  he  successively  occupied 
bore  his  name,  the  last  one  retaining  it  permanently. 

The  Bowyer  Tower 

The  Bowyer  Tower  derives  its  name  from  the  fact 
that  it  was  originally  the  abode  of  the  royal  bow-maker, 
or  as  he  was  called  the  Bowyer  ;  and  therein  he  plied 
his  craft,  and  stored  bows  for  the  king's  archers.  It 
was  originally  built  in  the  days  of  Edward  I,  but  was 
greatly  damaged  by  the  fire  of  1841,  and  has  been 
almost  completely  rebuilt,  the  original  outward  form 
and  appearance  having  been  maintained.  It  is  now 
used  for  the  accommodation  of  a  portion  of  the  garrison. 
It  was  in  this  Tower  that  George,  Duke  of  Clarence, 
whilst   a   prisoner,  was   found   drowned    in    a    butt   of 

^  (i)  Archbishop  Sancroft ;  (2)  Ken,  Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells ; 
(3)  William  Lloyd,  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph  ;  (4)  John  Lake,  Bishop  of 
Chichester  ;  (5)  Thomas  White,  Bishop  of  Peterborough  ;  (6)  Jonathan 
Trelawny,  Bishop  of  Bristol  ;  (7)  Francis  Turner,  Bishop  of  Ely. 


THE   FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN  39 

malmsey  on  February  i8th,  1478.  Some  historians, 
however,  suggest  that  the  Duke  was  either  encouraged 
to  drink  himself  to  death,  or  else  that  poison  was  intro- 
duced into  the  wine. 

By  lifting  a  flagstone  on  the  ground  floor  of  the 
Bowyer  Tower  a  portion  of  the  old  Roman  Wall  may  be 
seen,  which  hence  runs  due  north  through  America 
Square  and  Crutched  Friars  till  it  reaches  the  city  street 
still  known  as  I^ondon  Wall. 

The  Brick  Tower 

The  Brick  Tower  is  of  considerable  antiquity,  but 
received  its  present  name  at  a  later  date  from  brickwork 
additions  that  were  made  in  the  reign  of  Edward  IV  or 
Richard  III.  The  interior  is  now  modernized  and  used 
as  a  workshop  for  the  repair  and  upkeep  of  the  ancient 
armour  in  the  Tower.  On  two  occasions  it  is  mentioned 
that  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  spent  portions  of  his  long  im- 
prisonment in  the  Brick  Tower. ^  Lord  Grey  de  Wilton 
spent  some  years  here  before  being  transferred  to 
St.  Thomas'  Tower  ;  whilst  the  latest  person  of  note  to 
be  imprisoned  here  was  Sir  William  Coventry,  a  dis- 
tinguished statesman  in  1669.^  In  the  time  of  Henry 
VIII  this  was  the  official  residence  of  the  Master  of  the 
Ordnance,  and  probably  continued  to  be  so  for  many 
centuries. 

When  necessity  and  a  great  influx  of  prisoners  occurred 
the  Master  of  the  Ordnance,  occasionally  under  protest, 
had  to  lodge,  feed,  and  be  responsible  for  the  safety  of 
prisoners,  till  accommodation  was  vacant  in  the  more 
recognized  prison  quarters  of  the  Tower. 

The  Constable's  Tower 

The  Constable's  Tower  has  fallen  from  its  high  degree 
and  is  no  longer  the  residence  of  the  Constable.  Indeed 
it  is  quite  understandable  why  he  fled  to  more  com- 
modious  quarters   as   ideas   regarding  domestic   accom- 

^  Davey,  abridged  ed.,  pp.  238,  261.  -  Ibid.,  p.  290. 


40  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

modation  grew,  for  the  quarters  consist  only  of  a 
kitchen  and  three  small  circular  rooms,  one  above  the 
other,  and  all  must  have  been  very  dark.  The  Lieu- 
tenant's Lodgings  w^hen  built  was  a  palace  in  comparison. 
So  the  Constable  fled  from  his  Tower  and  has  never 
since  lived  there.  Its  historic  interest  lies  in  having 
been  the  official  residence  of  many  celebrated  Constables 
in  ancient  days,  but  no  record  of  them  remains  within. 
It  is  now  used  as  a  quarter  for  an  officer  of  the  garrison 
or  a  Tower  official. 


The  Broad  Arrow  Tower 

The  name  Broad  Arrow  as  applied  to  a  Tower  naturally 
suggests  the  Government  Broad  Arrow  mark.  But 
though  no  records  can  be  found  on  the  subject,  and  as 
there  is  nothing  structural  to  suggest  a  broad  arrow, 
about  this  Tower,  the  name  possibly  had  its  origin  in  the 
use  of  the  broad  arrow  which  bowmen  shot  from  the 
Tower  defences.  The  name  may,  on  the  other  hand, 
be  due  to  this  Tower  having  been  used,  conjointly  with 
the  Constable's  Tov/er,  by  the  Constable,  whence  official 
letters  and  orders  were  issued.  The  connection  between 
the  broad  arrow  m^ark,  which  is  the  Government  sign, 
and  the  place  of  issue  of  these  orders,  letters,  or  even 
stores,  may  thus  have  become  intermixed.  There  are 
many  inscriptions  on  the  old  walls  mostly  cut  during 
the  reigns  of  Queen  Mary  and  Queen  Elizabeth,  but 
none  are  of  great  interest.  Though  we  make  a  minor 
reservation  in  favour  of  "John  Daniell  1556,"  who  had 
the  distinction  of  being  both  hanged  and  beheaded  on 
Tower  Hill  for  insurrection  in  Queen  Mary's  reign. 
The  Broad  Arrow  contains  also  some  very  "  straight  " 
dungeons  in  the  thickness  of  the  wall,  one  being  only 
three  and  a  half  feet  wide,  that  is  six  inches  narrower 
than  the  more  celebrated  "  Little  Ease  "  in  the  White 
Tower. 

Though  not  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Broad 
Arrow  it  may  be  interesting  to  mention  that  in  digging 


THE  FORTRESS  FROM  WITHIN  41 

out  an  unexploded  bomb  from  the  moat  in  191 7,  a  plain 

silver  button  with  a  broad  arrow  engraved  on  it  was 
found  about  six  feet  below  the  surface. 


The  Salt  Tower 

The  Salt  Tower,  together  with  the  Wakefield  Tower, 
are,  next  to  the  White  Tower,  the  most  ancient  in  the 
fortress.  It  was  in  ancient  days  called  Julius  Caesar's 
Tower,  but  was  only  so  by  tradition  ;  it  was,  however, 
undoubtedly  built  in  the  reign  of  William  Rufus.^  The 
origin  of  the  name  is  obscure,  but  as  it  was  at  one  time 
used  for  the  storage  of  saltpetre  the  connection  may  lie 
there.  Some  give  the  seemingly  obvious  explanation 
that  salt,  pure  and  simple,  was  here  stored  ;  but  it  is 
held  that  salt  in  those  days  was  such  a  scarce  commodity 
that  the  available  quantity  would  not  have  required  a 
separate  Tower  wherein  to  store  it.  On  the  other  hand, 
it  is  argued  that  it  was  so  precious  that  it  was  placed  in  a 
stronghold,  like  gold  or  precious  stones.  There  are  very 
interesting  and  clearly  cut  inscriptions  in  this  tower, 
notably  one  or  more  by  Hugh  Draper,  who  was  imprisoned 
for  sorcery  in  1561,  as  well  as  a  very  curious  graphite  by 
the  same  hand.  There  are  three  storeys  connected  by 
a  winding  staircase.  On  the  ground  floor  is  a  vaulted 
dungeon,  whilst  on  the  first  floor  may  be  seen  a  very 
fine  old  fireplace. 

The  Well  Tower 

The  origin  of  the  name  Well  Tower  is  also  somewhat 
obscure.  There  are  only  three  known  ancient  wells 
within  the  Tower  and  none  of  these  are  near  the  Well 
Tower.  Possibly  it  may  have  been  named  after  some 
well-known  personage  named  Well,  or  Wall,  or  Will,  who 
long  lived  there  ;  just  as  the  Middle  Tower  used  once 
to  be  known  as  the  Martin  Tower,  probably  after  some 
official  who  happened  to  have  lived  in  it  for  some  time. 
The  Well  Tower  was  from  time  to  time  used  as  a  prison 

»  Davey, 


42  THE  TOWER  EROM  WITHIN 

for  less  important  prisoners,  priests  and  laymen.  Being 
close  to  the  river  it  was  thought  unsafe  for  rich  in- 
fluential prisoners.  There  are  several  inscriptions  on 
the  walls.  A  somewhat  cryptic  one  reads  "  As  for  the 
vicious  such  they  are  as  is  the  needles  flye.''  A  Warder 
now  has  his  quarters  in  this  tower. 

The  Cradle  Tower 

The  Cradle  Tower  has  no  connection  with  the 
nursery,  but  was  named  after  a  cradle  or  slip  by  means 
of  which  boats  were  slung  from  the  moat,  through  the 
arch  beneath,  to  the  roadway  which  runs  inside  the 
outer  defences.  It  was  used  as  a  prison  for  less  im- 
portant prisoners,  and  from  it  was  made  a  famous  escape 
which  is  narrated  elsewhere.^  At  present  it  is  one  of  the 
Warder's  quarters. 

The  Lanthorne  Tower 

The  Lanthorne  Tower,  which  now  stands  separate  on 
the  inner  ballium  wall,  was  once  connected  both  with 
the  Cradle  Tower  to  the  south,  and  with  the  Queen's 
Lodgings  to  the  north  and  formed  part  of  the  Royal 
residence.  Here  in  Henry  VIII's  time  was  the  king's 
bedchamber  and  privy  closet.  Later  the  lower  storey 
was  used  as  a  prison  and  the  upper  storey  as  a  guard- 
room. From  the  castellated  roof  rises  a  small  turret 
from  which  was  shown  a  lantern  or  flare,  to  guide  ships 
at  night  on  the  river.  Hence  the  name  of  this  Tower. 
It  was  originally  built  by  Henry  HI,  and  was  at  one  time 
very  richly  embellished  with  tapestries  representing  the 
story  of  Antiochus.  These  ancient  tapestries  were 
added  to  by  the  personal  skill  in  needlework  of  Katherine 
of  Aragon,  Katherine  Parr,  and  Queen  Mary.  The 
upper  storey  was  completely  destroyed  by  fire  in  1788, 
whilst  the  lower  was  turned  into  a  military  canteen. 
This  ancient  ruin  was,  however,  completely  restored  in 
Queen  Victoria's  days,  and  may  now  be  seen  outwardly 
an  exact  facsimile  of  the  original  building. 

*  See  p.  225. 


THE   FORTRESS   FROM  WTTHTN  43 

The  Middle  and  Byward  Towers 

The  entrance  to  the  Tower  is  through  two  old  gate- 
ways which  pass  under  the  Middle  Tower  and  the 
Byward  Tower.  The  former  was  so  called  as  it  was  the 
middle  tower  between  the  Lion  Tower,  now  no  more, 
and  the  Byward.  The  latter  name  came  to  it  from 
being  the  gate  where  the  "  by-word  "  or  "  password  " 
was  demanded  from  those  who  wished  to  pass  in  to  the 
Tower.  A  postern  leads  from  the  Byward  to  the  Queen's 
steps.  This  postern  could  only  be  used  by  the  king  and 
queen  and  those  specially  privileged  to  pass  in  and  out 
without  giving  the  password. 

An  ancient  portcullis  still  in  working  order  drops 
from  the  Byward  Tower. 

The  Lion  Tower 

The  Lion  Tower  was  to  the  west  of  the  Middle  Tower 
and  was  so  called  as  it  stood  close  to  the  Royal  Menagerie. 
Edward  VI  built  the  Lion  Tower,  a  menagerie  then 
being  considered  one  of  the  emblems  of  regal  State. 
Henry  I  indeed  had  a  private  menagerie  at  Wood- 
stock, where  he  kept  "  lions,  leopards,  lynxes,  and  several 
other  uncommon  beasts."  These  were  afterwards  re- 
moved to  the  Tower,  where,  it  is  mentioned,  the  King 
ordered  the  Sheriffs  of  London  to  supply  fourpence  a 
day  for  the  maintenance  of  his  white  bear  and  his  keeper. 
They  were  also  to  provide  "  a  muzzle  and  an  iron  chain 
to  hold  the  said  bear  out  of  the  water."  It  was  also 
ordered  that  they  should  supply  "  a  long  cord  to  hold 
the  said  bear  the  time  it  was  fishing  in  the  Thames." 
Further  they  were  instructed  to  build  a  small  house  in 
the  Tower  for  the  King's  elephant,  and  to  make  pro- 
vision both  for  the  beast  and  his  keeper.  Edward  II  in 
his  turn  ordered  the  Sheriffs  of  London  to  pay  the 
keepers  of  the  King's  leopards  sixpence  a  day  for  the 
sustenance  of  the  leopards,  and  threepence  a  day  for  the 
diet  of  the  keeper. ^  Later  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VII 
1  Madox,  Antiq.  Excheq.,  i.  376. 


44 


THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 


we  find  no  less  a  person  than  a  belted  Earl  and  Constable 
of  the  Tower  made  keeper  of  the  King's  lions.  This 
was  John  de  Vere,  Earl  of  Oxford,  and  he  was  allotted, 
with  appointment,  the  salary  of  twelve  pence  per  diem, 
and  was  in  addition  allowed  sixpence  a  day  for  the  feed 
of  each  beast. ^ 

The  menagerie  at  the  Tower  was  long  one  of  the 
sights  of  London.  People  from  the  country  used  to 
flock  to  see  the  strange  beasts  and  especially  the  lions. 
This  was  the  origin  of  a  term  which  long  survived  its 
first  meaning,  and  was  applied  to  any  new  or  remarkable 
sight.  Thus  people  talked  of  going  to  London  "  to  see 
the  lions,"  meaning  as  often  as  not  the  smart  persons 
riding  and  walldng  in  Rotten  Row,  or  in  Pall  Mall  or 
St.  James'  Street.  A  somewhat  quaint  notice  appeared 
in  the  Su?iday  Times  in  1827  regarding  the  Royal  Mena- 
gerie, Tower  of  London  : 

"  Few  objects  are  calculated  to  throw  a  greater  lustre 
on  our  national  character,  in  an  emulative  point  of  view, 
than  the  splendid  specimens  of  savage  nature  which  the 
resources  of  Government  have  succeeded  in  collecting. 
Birds,  Beasts  and  Reptiles,  in  endless  variety,  press  on 
the  spectator's  view,  and  lead  him  through  a  labyrinth 
of  wonderment  superior  to  any  ever  before  exhibited." 

In  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  lions 
and  other  beasts  which  were  in  a  very  poor  and  neglected 
condition  were  transferred  to  a  more  salubrious  site, 
and  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  present  Zoological 
collection  in  Regent's  Park.  The  removal  is  recorded  in 
the  following  letter  from  the  Deputy-Governor  to  the 
Duke  of  Wellington,  who  was  then  Constable  : 

Tower, 

AT        T  T-.  28    AU^.,    1835. 

My  Lord  Duke,  ^  '      ^^ 

I  enclose  a  letter  from  Mr.  Cops  expressing  his 
readiness  to  comply  with  the  wishes  of  the   King  in 

1  Rymer,  xii.  276, 


THE  FORTRESS  FROM  WITHIN  45 

shutting  up  his  menagerie  in  the  Tower,  and  I  have  the 
honour  to  acquaint  your  Grace  that  it  has  been  shut  up 
this  day  accordingly.  j,  Elrington. 

The  Waterloo  Barracks 

On  the  site  of  the  old  Armouries,  which  were  burnt 
down  in  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  there 
now  stand  the  Waterloo  Barracks,  built  in  the  castel- 
lated style,  of  grey  stone  to  be  in  keeping  with  the 
surroundings.  The  officers'  mess  and  quarters  built  in 
the  same  style  stand  to  the  west  of  these. 

Taverns,  Within  and  Without 

The  inside  of  the  fortress  is,  as  before  mentioned, 
swept  and  garnished  and  freed  of  all  mean  structures, 
as  well  as  of  the  taverns  that  used  to  flourish  within  its 
walls.  It  will  be  noticed  elsewhere^  that  as  late  as  1843 
"  The  Gold  Chain "  flourished,  besides  at  least  one 
other  public-house.  Though  not  within  the  Tower  there 
were  several  of  historic  interest  outside  the  gates,  and 
used  by  prisoners  coming  and  going,  and  by  their  friends. 
Close  to  the  site  of  the  old  Bulwark  Gate  is  "  The 
Tiger,"  now  renovated  but  claiming  to  have  existed 
since  1550,  and  to  have  supplied  meals  to  the  Princess 
Elizabeth  when  she  was  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower.  The 
sign  of  "  The  Tiger  "  is  the  old  leopard  to  be  seen  on  the 
Royal  Standard.  At  the  "  London  Tavern,"  then  known 
as  "  Y^  Kinge's  Head,"  the  same  Princess  had  dinner  on 
the  day  she  was  released,  and  the  pewter  dish  and  cover 
used  by  her  are  still  preserved.  The  dish  is  very  curious, 
having  holes  through  which  the  grease  and  gravy  must 
have  drained  into  a  receptacle  beneath.  The  cover 
which  is  much  indented  looks  like  the  shrapnel  helmets 
worn  by  our  troops  in  the  Great  War,  only  much  larger. 

In  Great  Tower  Street,  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
Tower,  is  the  "  Czar's  Head."     This  used  to  be  the 

*   See  p.  52. 


46  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

"  Czar  of  Muscovy's  Head,"  but  a  later  generation 
abbreviated  the  title.  It  was  this  tavern  which  Peter 
the  Great  frequented,  during  the  four  months  he  was 
working  as  a  dock  hand  in  London  docks,  learning  how 
the  English  built  their  ships.  According  to  common 
repute,  though  he  worked  hard  all  day,  he  drank  hard  all 
night,  and  mostly  patronized  the  tavern  later  named 
after  him.  At  the  corner  a  few  doors  off  the  Czar's 
Head,  is  the  "  Old  King's  Head  " ;  which  old  king  is  not 
clear,  but  very  possibly  King  Charles  I.  This  house  is 
not  at  present  occupied.  In  the  Minories  a  few  hundred 
yards  oft'  may  be  seen  "  The  Three  Lords,"  so  named 
after  the  three  Scottish  lords  who  came  to  the  scaffold 
in  1746-47. 

Ghosts 

Those  who  live  in  the  Tower  are  often  asked  whether 
they  ever  see  ghosts,  and  they  invariably  answer  that 
they  never  do.  Even  those  who  have  slept  in  Queen 
Anne  Boleyn's  bedroom,  or  in  the  Bloody  Tower,  or 
other  places  of  tragedy  have  no  disturbing  experiences 
to  record.  The  only  authentic  case,  if  so  it  may  be  called, 
is  that  of  a  rifleman  belonging  to  the  60th  Rifles  who  in 
1864  was  sentry  at  the  door  of  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings 
practically  under  the  window  leading  into  Queen  Anne 
Boleyn's  room.  This  sentry  was  found  by  the  visiting 
round  lying  on  the  pavement  on  his  beat,  and  was  court- 
martialled  for  being  asleep  on  his  post.  His  defence  was 
that  a  figure  in  white  had  approached  his  post  ;  that  he 
had  challenged  but  the  figure  came  on  ;  that  he  charged 
it  with  his  bayonet  and  meeting  no  resistance  fell  in  a 
dead  faint,  in  which  condition  the  visiting  rounds  found 
him.  At  the  court-martial  two  witnesses  gave  evidence 
that  on  the  night  in  question  they  were  looking  out  of 
the  window  of  the  Bloody  Tower  before  going  to  bed. 
It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night,  and  they  saw  a  white 
figure  approach  the  sentry,  heard  the  sentry  challenge, 
saw  him  charge  the  figure  with  his  bayonet,  and  then 
fall  to  the  ground.     On  this  evidence  the  sentry  was 


THE  FORTRESS   FROM  WITHIN  47 

acquitted.  The  same  figure  is  said  to  have  been  seen  by 
other  sentries  on  the  same  spot  for  several  years  after- 
wards. The  evil  repute  w^hich  this  spot  got  made  it  for 
long  a  very  unpopular  post  and  men  tried  to  avoid  it. 
This  story  came  to  the  author  as  told  by  the  late  Major- 
General  J.  D.  Dundas,  then  a  Captain  in  the  60th  Rifles 
quartered  at  the  Tower,  and  is  corroborated  very  closely 
by  Field-Marshal  Lord  Grenfell,  who  was  also  in  the 
60th  Rifles. 

A  curious  though  quite  unimportant  incident  occurred 
to  the  author  soon  after  taking  over  his  quarters  in 
St.  Thomas'  Tower.  He  was  dressing  in  the  room  over 
the  Traitor's  Gate  where  Lord  Grey  de  Wilton  died 
after  being  reprieved  on  the  scaffold.  The  door,  which  was 
securely  shut,  opened  gently  half-way  and  so  remained 
for  a  few  seconds.  It  was  thought  that  the  dog  had 
pushed  it  open,  but  no  dog  was  about,  and  was  after- 
wards found  to  be  in  the  kitchen.  The  door  then  slowly 
closed.  This  happened  twice  during  the  first  two  weeks 
of  residence,  but  has  not  occurred  since.  The  story  is 
given  just  as  it  happened,  and  claims  no  relation  to 
Lord  Grey  de  Wilton  or  any  other  prisoner  in  these 
rooms,  for  no  figure  or  presence  of  any  sort  was  seen. 

For  long  the  ghost  of  Lord  Lovat  was  said  to  have 
been  seen  but  not  in  the  Tower.  This  apparition  was 
said  to  be  clad  in  a  monk's  robe  with  the  cowl  thrown 
back,  and  carrying  Lord  Lovat's  head  under  its  arm. 
There  is  an  engraving  of  this  ghost  in  the  British 
Museum. 

Not  improbably  the  Tower  is  free  of  ghosts,  or  the 
visible  spirits  of  those  who  suffered  here,  because  these 
have  long  since  lost  any  interest  in  the  place.  Some  of 
them  died  more  than  four  hundred  years  ago,  and  reasons 
for  haunting  their  old  prison  must  long  since  have 
departed.  Anne  Boleyn  might  well  appear  with  her 
head  under  her  arm  to  Henry  VIII  when  alive,  or 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh  to  Sir  William  Waad  ;  but  neither 
have  any  particular  interest  in  those  who  live  to-day,  or 
have  any  reason  for  appearing  to  them. 


IV 
THE  CONSTABLE  OF  THE  TOWER 

First  appointed  by  the  Conqueror — One  hundred  and  thirty-four 
Constables — And  the  Lieutenant — Pay  and  perquisites  of  the 
Constable — ''  Through  pride  and  contempt  " — Free  oysters 
and  free  fishing — Cattle  off  London  Bridge — Swans  that  swam 
below — Rushes  for  his  carpet — Carts  that  fell  in  the  ditch — 
Sometimes  Archbishop  as  well  as  Constable — The  ceremony  of 
inducting  the  Constable — The  Constable  beats  the  bounds  of 
the  Tower  Liberties — A  procession  of  one  thousand — A  cold 
collation  at  his  Grace's  expense — Some  distinguished  Con- 
stables— Geoffrey  de  Mandeville — The  Earl  of  Essex  prefers 
highway  robbery — The  Duke  of  Exeter  and  his  daughter — 
Sir  Robert  Brackenbury — The  murder  of  the  Princes — The 
Lieutenant's  Lodgings  built  by  Henry  VIII — The  Constable 
leaves  the  Tower — The  Earl  of  Essex  and  the  Knights 
Templar — His  coffin  hangs  between  two  trees  for  twenty 
years — Thomas  a  Becket,  Archbishop  and  Constable — His 
military  career — His  murder  by  the  four  knights — A  saint 
dethroned — Other  prelates  who  were  Constables — William 
Longchamp — Hugh  de  Bigod,  Earl  of  Norfolk — The  Iron 
Duke — Sir  John  Fox  Burgoyne — His  sepulture — Field- 
Marshal  Lord  Napier  of  Magdala — Field-Marshal  Sir  Evelyn 
Wood. 

THE  office  of  Constable  of  the  Tower  is  one  of 
the  oldest  in  England,  dating  back  to  within 
a  few  years  of  the  Conquest,  and  has  always 
been  one  of  great  honour  and  dignity.  There 
have  been  in  all  no  less  than  one  hundred  and  thirty- four 
Constables,  from  Geoffrey  deMandeville^  to  Field-Marshal 
Sir  Evelyn  Wood.-  Nor  has  the  holder  of  this  proud 
and  ancient  title  always  been  a  soldier,  indeed  in  earlier 
days  the  Church  militant  appears  to  have  furnished 
many  a  prelate  to  fill  the  post.     Then  came  a  period 

*  Originally  spelt  Magnaville,         ^  See  Appendix  A  for  full  list. 

48 


The  constable  of  the  tower    49 

when  sometimes  in  days  of  storm  and  stress  it  was  held 
hy  a  miHtary  chief,  but  more  often  by  a  man  of  poHtical 
prominence  in  the  prevaiHng  turmoil.  Later  still,  when 
the  Tower  became  more  of  a  State  prison,  the  Constable 
appears  to  have  delegated  the  unpleasant  duty  of  head 
gaoler  to  his  Lieutenant,  who  acted  for  him  and  with  his 
authority.  He  then  removed  himself  from  the  Constable's 
quarters  in  the  Tower,  and  has  never  since  occupied 
them.  For  many  years  now  the  Constable  has  been  a 
soldier  of  high  rank  and  distinguished  service,  the  most 
celebrated  of  these  being  the  first  Duke  of  Wellington. 

The  pay  of  the  Constable  in  old  days  was  ^loo  a  year, 
but  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  the  age  he  was 
allowed  to  add  to  this  income  in  various  curious  ways 
Thus  every  prisoner  who  came  into  the  Tower,  and  only 
those  of  high  rank  were  admitted,  had  to  pay  the  Con- 
stable certain  fees.  A  Duke  had  to  pay  ;^20,  an  Earl 
twenty  marks, ^  a  Baron  £io,  and  a  Knight  ^5,  all  high 
sums  in  those  days.  The  Treasury  also  made  a  certain 
allowance  per  week  for  the  sustenance  of  prisoners^  and 
their  retinue,  according  to  rank ;  and  should  any 
prisoner,  "  through  pride  and  contempt,"  refuse  to  take 
the  Government  grant,  it  became  the  perquisite  of  the 
Constable.  Again  he  was  allowed  to  take  toll  in  various 
ways  ;  to  wit,  two  flagons  of  wine  from  every  ship 
arriving  from  Bordeaux,  the  merchants  bringing  the 
same  ashore  and  depositing  them  as  toll  on  the  Tower 
Wharf.  In  the  same  way  all  fishing  boats  bringing 
oysters,  mussels,  and  cockles  to  the  London  market  had 
to  present  the  Constable  with  one  maund^  of  the  same. 
Other  fishing  boats  that  passed  the  Tower  paid  him  a 

^  A  mark  was  worth  presumedly  fifteen  shillings  in  those  days. 

*  In  the  time  of  Richard  II,  for  a  Duke  five  marks  a  week,  for  an 
Earl  forty  shillings,  for  a  Baron  twenty  shillings,  and  for  a  Knight  ten 
shillings.  A  Duke's  chaplain  six  shillings  and  eight  pence,  his  gentleman 
the  same,  his  yeoman  three  shillings  and  four  pence.  All  other  servants 
three  shillings  and  four  pence,  and  all  other  yeomen  one  shilling  and  six- 
pence. These  fees  were  raised  as  gold  declined  in  value. — Hepwor-i-h 
Dixon. 

^  This  word  is  still  used  in  India,  and  now  represents  80  lb. 


so  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

fee.  He  had  the  valuable  fishing  rights  between  London 
Bridge  and  the  Tower,  for  in  those  days  salmon  amongst 
other  fish  abounded  in  these  waters. 

All  cattle  that  fell  off  London  Bridge  were  also  the 
Constable's  perquisite,  and  doubtless  when  short  of 
provender  he  would  send  up  a  few  varlets  to  encourage 
this  form  of  suicide  ;  all  swans  too  that  floated  below 
the  same  bridge  were  his.  He  would  not  make  much 
profit  out  of  derelict  cattle  nowadays,  but  the  swans 
would  keep  his  table  well  supplied  in  summer.  All 
flotsam  and  jetsam  on  the  river  was  his,  which  often 
included  valuable  timber.  From  all  boats  bringing 
rushes  to  the  city  the  Constable  could  take  as  toll  "  such 
a  quantity  as  a  person  could  hold  between  his  arms  "  ; 
and  as  rushes  were  used  instead  of  carpets  and  had  often 
to  be  renewed,  this  was  a  useful  economy.  He  also 
received  a  fee  on  all  skins  dried  at  East  Smithfield,  which 
then  was  vvithin  the  Tower  Liberties.  All  carts  that  fell 
into  the  Tower  ditch,  which  was  quite  unguarded  and, 
needless  to  say,  unlighted  at  night,  and  dropped  steeply, 
became  the  absolute  property  of  the  Constable.  With 
these  and  other  little  economies  in  addition  to  his  ;£ioo 
a  year  the  Constable  was  passing  rich  ;  but  in  addition 
he  usually  lield  some  other  lucrative  appointment,  some- 
times so  high  as  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  at  others  so 
modest  as  keeper  of  the  lions  "  with  extra  salary  of  one 
shilling  a  day  and  sixpence  for  each  beast." 

The  Constable  was,  and  is,  inducted  with  much 
ceremony.  The  garrison,  usually  consisting  of  a  battalion 
of  His  Majesty's  Foot  Guards,  parades  before  the  White 
Tower.  A  procession,  headed  by  the  Yeoman  Gaoler 
with  the  axe  on  his  shoulder,  and  consisting  of  all  the 
officers  of  the  Tower  and  the  Yeomen  Warders,  then 
issues  from  the  "  King's  House "  and  conducts  the 
Constable  to  the  spot  where  the  troops  are  drawn  up. 
Here  they  are  met  by  the  Lord  Chamberlain,  who  on 
behalf  and  in  the  name  of  the  Sovereign  presents  the 
Tower  keys  to  the  new  Constable.  The  Constable 
suitably    acknowledges    the    honour,    whilst    the    Chief 


z  s 

'■'^  — .  -'C 

id   ^  ? 

2  "  z  5 

?  -  S  ^^ 

i  i  -  il> 

"  ^  :3  r  — 

—    "'    ''^  "r 

z.      <  5 

z  ?  -  IT 


THE  CONSTABLE  OF  THE  TOWER       51 

Warder  steps  to  the  front,  takes  oit  his  hat,  and  loud  and 

clear  proclaims  "God  preserve  King "  (naming  the 

reigning  monarch).  All  the  Yeomen  Warders  together 
answer  "  Amen."  The  troops  at  the  same  time  present 
arms,  and  the  band  plays  the  opening  bars  of  the 
National  Anthem.  The  Constable  is  then  formally 
presented  to  the  officers  of  the  garrison  as  their  new 
chief.  After  this  the  troops  march  past  and  are  dis- 
missed, whilst  the  Constable  is  conducted  with  formality 
into  the  White  Tower,  and  such  other  parts  of  the 
fortress  as  he  may  wish  to  visit. 

Another  picturesque  ceremony  falls  to  the  Constable 
or  his  substitute  every  three  years,  when  he  leads  the  pro- 
cession which  "beats  the  bounds"  of  the  Tower  Liberties. 
An  account  of  this  occasion  when  the  first  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington was  Constable  is  to  be  found  in  the  Yeoman 
Warder's  Order  Book,  and  is  of  much  interest. 

In  184.3  after  Divine  Service  had  been  performed  in 
the  ancient  chapel  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula,  the  pro- 
cession for  "  beating  the  bounds  "  ^  was  formed  on  the 
parade  as  follows  : 

The  High  Constable  of  the  Tower  Hamlets. 

The  Headsman,  bearing  the  axe  of  execution. 

A  painter  to  m.ark  the  "  bounds." 

Yeomen  Warders  in  full  dress  with  halberds,  walk- 
ing two  and  two  abreast. 

Children  of  the  Tower  National  School  with  wands. 

Children  of  Welcome  School. 

The  Deputy-Governor  of  the  Tower  (Col.  Gur- 
wood). 

The  Fort  Major  of  the  Tower  (Major  Elrington, 
mounted  on  horseback). 

The  High  Bailiff  of  the  Tower  (Mr.  J.  W.  Lush). 

The  Chaplain  (Rev.  Henry  Melville). 

The  Master  Gunner  of  the  Batteries. 

•  'The  origin  of  the  term  apparently  is  that  at  each  boundary  mark  a 
small  boy  was  beaten,  so  as  to  impress  on  his  memory  as  well  as  his  person 
the  exact  position  of  the  boundary  pillar. 


52  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

The  Vestry  Clerk  of  the  Tower  precincts  (Mr.  H 

Altham). 
Officers  of  the  Royal  Engineers. 
Criers  of  the  Royal  Court. 

Beadles  of  the  Liberties  with  their  staves  of  office. 
Peace  Officers — Jurymen  of  the  Court-leet. 
Inhabitant  householders. 

The  procession  thus  formed,  consisting  of  about  one 
thousand  persons,  then  moved  forward,  stopping  at  the 
different  boundary  stations  where  the  "  broad  arrow  " 
was  painted  in  red  on  a  white  ground  as  a  boundary 
mark,  whilst  the  Chaplain  said  : 

"  Cursed  be  he  who  removeth  his  neighbour's  land- 
mark." 

The  ceremony  lasted  about  one  hour,  and  on  its 
conclusion  "  in  the  afternoon  the  Q-entlemen  who  accom- 
panied  the  procession  sat  down  to  an  elegant  cold  colla- 
tion at  the  Gold  Chain  Tavern  within  the  Tower  at  the 
expense  of  his  Grace  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  Constable 
of  the  Tower. "^ 

William  the  Conqueror,  who  made  Geoffrey  de  Mande- 
ville  the  first  Constable,  apparently  intended  that  the 
office  should  be  hereditary,  for  Geoffrey  was  succeeded 
by  his  son  William,  and  by  his  grandson  another  Geoffrey. 
This  latter,  who  afterwards  became  Earl  of  Essex,  how- 
ever, resigned  the  appointment,  as  a  historian  quaintly 
remarks,  "  to  take  up  the  more  lucrative  profession  of 
highway  robbery,"  ^  and  since  then  all  claim  to  heredity 
in  one  family  has  ceased.  There  have,  however,  been 
instances  where  a  son  has  succeeded  his  father,  as  in  the 
case  of  John  Holland,  fourth  Duke  of  Exeter,  who  held  the 
Constableship  in  the  reigns  of  Henry  V  and  Henry  VII 
for  twenty-five  years,  and  then  arranged  that  his  son 
should  be  appointed  joint  constable,  with  a  view  to 
succeeding  him.  The  former  was  that  Constable  who 
introduced  the  rack  into  the  Tower,  known  then  and 
for  long  after  as  the  "  Duke  of  Exeter's  Daughter." 

All  through  the  Plantagenet,  and  early  Tudor  periods, 

^  This  ceremony  was  in  due  course  held  in  191 8.  ^  Davey. 


THE  CONSTABLE  OF  THE  TOWER       53 

the  Constable  of  the  Tower  was  a  very  great  personage, 
for  he  held  not  only  the  most  powerful  fortress  in  Eng- 
land strongly  garrisoned,  but  one  which  dominated  the 
capital  and  contained  all  the  vital  sinews  of  sovereignty. 
He  who  held  the  Tower,  at  any  rate  in  popular  imagina- 
tion, held  England.  Therefore  the  king  in  being  chose 
his  Constable  with  much  care,  and  changed  him  at  will 
when  occasion  needed.  Sometimes  these  appointments 
and  changes  were  dictated  by  policy,  sometimes  even 
with  criminal  intent.  There  is  little  doubt,  for  instance 
that  Sir  Robert  Brackenbury  was  removed,  though 
only  temporarily,  and  replaced  by  Sir  James  Tyrrel, 
to  enable  that  complacent  official  to  carry  out  the  behest 
of  Richard  of  Gloucester,  by  putting  no  obstacle  in  the 
way  of  the  murder  of  the  young  Princes  in  the  Bloody 
Tower. 

As  the  military  value  of  the  Tower  decreased  ;  as  the 
engines  of  war  im.proved  ;  and  men,  not  only  stone  walls, 
began  to  betoken  the  strength  of  a  cause,  it  became  by 
degrees,  as  we  have  seen,  partly  a  palace  and  partly  a 
State  prison,  and  later  still  wholly  a  prison.  The  Con- 
stable had  now  handed  over  most  of  his  current  duties, 
which  greatly,  if  not  solely,  were  connected  with  prisoners, 
to  the  Lieutenant,  and  leaving  the  Constable's  Tower 
migrated  to  a  private  residence  in  London  or  elsewhere. 
For  the  Lieutenant,  his  locum  tenens,  was  built  by 
Henry  VHI  what  in  those  days  were  considered  the 
very  spacious  lodgings,  now  known  as  "  King's  House." 
These  Lieutenant's  Lodgings  were  intended  not  only 
for  the  accommodation  of  himself  and  his  family,  but 
also  to  provide  confinement,  either  temporarily  or  for  a 
period,  to  prisoners  of  distinction.  Apart  from  other 
things  the  Tower  in  those  days  was  not  a  desirable  place 
to  live  in,  it  was  damp,  cold,  overcrowded,  and  filthy  ; 
surrounded  by  a  foetid  ditch,  half  water  half  slime,  filled 
with  the  refuse  and  dirt  of  ages.  Plague,  pestilence,  and 
fevers  were  endemic  within  its  walls.  So  the  Constable 
severed  his  residential  connection  with  what  was  then  an 
unsavoury  spot  and  has  never  returned.     Now  that  the 


54  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Tower  is  bright,  clean,  and  wholesome  again,  and  one  of 
the  most  healthy  garrisons  in  England,  and  in  these 
modern  days  of  motor-cars,  underground  railways,  and 
telephones,  as  accessible  as  any  part  of  London,  per- 
chance some  future  Constable  will  once  more  reside 
within  its  ancient  walls. 

The  first  Constable  of  the  Tower,  Geoffrey  de  Man- 
deville,  was  a  stout  Norman  soldier  who  came  over  with 
William  the  Conqueror,  and  behaved  with  great  and 
distinguished  gallantry  at  the  battle  of  Hastings  ;  but 
perhaps  his  grandson  of  the  same  name,  though  a  less 
worthy  person,  was  the  more  prominent  of  the  two. 
This  second  Geoffrey,  who  was  an  ambitious  turbulent 
knight  somewhat  symbolic  of  the  times,  first  thrusting 
along  the  legitimate  road  to  honour  and  advancement 
was  made  Earl  of  Essex,  and  held  the  Constableship  of 
the  Tower  for  thirteen  years.  But  his  was  a  wild  and 
lawless  nature  and  he  must  be  for  ever  lighting,  some- 
times legitimately,  sometimes  merely  thinly  guised  as  a 
highwayman,  and  finally  as  a  rebel  against  the  King. 
In  a  minor  conflict  with  King  Stephen's  troops  he  was 
mortally  wounded,  and  died  at  Mildenham  in  Suffolk. 
Having  previously  been  excommunicated  by  the  Pope 
for  sacrilege  and  other  high  crimes,  none  would  bury 
him,  and  there  he  may  have  lain  for  the  ravens  to  devour, 
had  not  the  Knights  Templar  come  to  the  rescue.  To 
this  Order  the  Earl  of  Essex  had  in  the  past  performed 
some  signal  service,  so  in  gratitude  for  the  same  the 
Knights  Templar  clothed  him  in  the  habits  of  their 
Order,  and  brought  his  body  to  the  Temple.  There 
they  enclosed  the  remains  in  a  leaden  cofiin,  and  sus- 
pended it  between  two  trees  in  the  Temple  garden,  for 
they  too  obeyed  the  Pope,  and  could  not  bury  one  on 
whom  lay  the  ban  of  the  Church.  It  remained  for 
another  Pope,  some  twenty  years  later,  to  remove  the 
ban  of  excommunication,  thus  allowing  the  cofiin  to  be 
buried.  Whether  it  hung  all  those  twenty  years  between 
the  two  trees  is  not  stated,  but  it  is  recorded  that 
Geoffrey  de  Mandeville,  Earl  of  Essex,  was  eventually 


THE  CONSTABLE   OF  THE  TOWER       55 

"  buried  in  front  of  the  west  door  of  the  Church."^  His 
effigy  clad  as  a  Knight  Templar  may  now  be  seen  on  the 
floor  of  the  Temple  Church,  inside  the  western  door. 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  the  earlier  Constables  of 
the  Tower  was  Thomas  a  Becket.  Some  are  a  little 
doubtful  about  this  connection,  but  on  the  other  hand 
it  is  recorded  in  the  course  of  his  endless  quarrels  with 
Henry  H,  regarding  money  matters,  that  he  claims  to 
have  spent  "  far  more  than  ^^300  in  repairing  the  Tower 
of  London,  etc.,"  and  we  may  safely  conclude  that  he 
would  not  have  spent  so  large  a  sum  in  pure  philanthropy, 
or  if  he  had  so  done  would  not  have  laid  claim  to  it  as  an 
asset.  In  further  support  of  his  connection  with  the 
Tower  of  London,  it  will  be  remembered  that  Henry  HI 
posthumously  named  one  of  the  lesser  Towers  after  him. 
Moreover,  it  must  be  remembered  that  appointments 
carrying  certain  valuable  privileges  of  a  monetary  nature 
which  were  in  the  King's  gift,  were  bestowed  as  guerdons 
for  good  service,  and  did  not  necessarily  entail  residence, 
or  the  performance  of  any  but  perfunctory  duties  con- 
nected with  the  appointment.  These  latter  were  en- 
trusted to  a  paid  substitute,  whilst  the  Constable 
attached  the  greater  part  of  emoluments,  regarding  it 
as  a  species  of  Royal  grant  towards  the  enlargement  of 
his  income. 

Thomas  a  Becket  was  not  only  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, but  had  been  a  soldier  and  an  ambassador  as  well. 
For  it  is  recorded  that  in  the  war  of  Toulouse  in  1159, 
when  he  was  forty-one  years  of  age,  he  figured  promi- 
nently at  the  head  of  a  picked  troop  of  knights,  and  was 
foremost  in  every  fight. 

As  a  special  ambassador  he  was  sent  to  France  to 
negotiate  a  marriage  between  the  eldest  son  of  Henry  H 
and  a  daughter  of  Louis  VH  ;  and  later  after  the  Tou- 
louse War  he  negotiated  the  treaty  of  peace  between 
the  English  and  French  monarchs.  But  after  he  had 
been  made  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Henry  H  began 

^  Dictionary  of  National  Biography  and  The  Tozver  of  London,  by 
Lord  de  Ros. 


S6  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

to  find  this  soldier  priest  somewhat  too  powerful,  and 
commenced  to  put  pressure  on  his  subject  in  what 
to  us  may  seem  a  somewhat  undignified  manner,  not 
unconnected  with  pounds  sterling.  Thomas  a  Becket, 
though  comparatively  powerless  as  a  subject,  could  as 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury  exercise  very  considerable 
spiritual  pressure  ;  for  in  those  days  the  Pope  of  Rome 
was  a  very  great  personage  indeed,  not  only  in  things 
spiritual,  but  also  in  world  politics,  and  Thomas  a  Becket 
was  the  representative  of  the  Vicar  of  Christ  in  England. 
Therefore,  though  for  corporeal  reasons  he  had  to  flee 
the  country,  he  could  and  did  from  the  safe  vantage 
ground  of  France  excommunicate  his  enemies,  a  very 
serious  weapon  in  those  days.  He  even  threatened  to 
excommunicate  his  King.  However,  after  some  six  years 
of  exile  his  soul  pined  lor  Canterbury  and  the  soothing 
shades  of  its  cathedral  ;  he  therefore  made  grace  of 
necessity  and  sending  his  submission  to  the  King  was 
allowed  to  return.  The  Archbishop  was  received  with 
joy  by  the  populace  ;  but  there  were  some  who  disliked 
him  intensely,  and  determined  to  kill  him.  Amongst 
these  were  four  knights,  Hugh  de  Morville,  William  de 
Tracy,  Reginald  Fitzurse,  and  Richard  de  Breton.  These 
therefore  carried  out  their  purpose  and  slew  the  Archbishop 
on  the  steps  of  the  choir  in  Canterbury  Cathedral  on 
December  29th,  11 70.  The  Pope,  who  was  naturally 
very  indignant,  canonized  Thomas  a  Becket  in  11 73,  and 
in  the  following  year  Henry  II,  whose  hands  were  held 
to  be  not  quite  clean  of  the  martyr's  blood,  did  pubHc 
penance  at  his  tomb.  But  Thomas  a  Becket  did  not 
remain  a  saint  for-ever,  for  when  Henry  VIII  thi'ew  off 
his  allegiance  to  the  Pope  and  proclaimed  himself  head 
of  the  English  Church,  amongst  other  acts  of  spoliation 
he  confiscated  the  great  heap  of  treasure  which  four 
centuries  of  pious  pilgrims  had  laid  on  the  tomb  of  the 
martyred  saint ;  de-canonized  him,  and  ordered  that  he 
should  again  become  known  as  simple  Bishop  Becket. 
It  is  further  reported  that  the  King  ordered  the  bones 
of  the  Archbishop  to  be  burned. 


THE  CONSTABLE  OF  THE  TOWER       57 

Nor  was  Thomas  a  Becket  the  only  high  prelate  who 
was  also  Constable  of  the  Tower,  for  amongst  the  holders 
may  be  found  another  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
Stephen  Langton,  in  the  reign  of  King  John.  Previous 
to  that  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  had  appointed  William 
Longchamp,  Bishop  of  Ely,  to  be  Constable,  whilst 
Henry  HI  bestowed  it  on  no  less  than  three  prelates, 
Randulph  Bishop  of  Norwich,  William  Archbishop  of 
York,  and  Walter  also  an  Archbishop  of  York. 

William  Longchamp  was,  by  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion, 
made  Bishop  of  Ely  and  Chancellor  of  the  Kingdom  as 
well  as  Constable  of  the  Tower.^  When  Richard  em- 
barked on  his  crusades  he  left  William  Longchamp 
ensconced  in  the  Tower  to  look  after  his  affairs  and 
kingdom.  That  prelate  immediately  set  about  improving 
and  completing  the  defences,  and  under  Richard's  instruc- 
tions dug  a  broad  and  deep  moat  round  the  Tower, 
which  later  was  flooded  from  the  River  Thames  and 
constituted  a  very  formidable  barrier  against  the  assaults 
of  those  days.  Nor  were  these  precautions  vain,  for  the 
very  next  year  John,  who  had  usurped  his  absent  brother's 
throne,  besieged  the  Tower,  and  after  three  days' 
blockade,  whether  by  force  or  treachery,  the  fortress 
fell.  Longchamp  was  taken  prisoner,  and  formally 
deposed  from  all  secular  offices,  including  the  Con- 
stableship  of  the  Tower.  He  also  gave  up  Windsor 
Castle  which  he  still  held,  protesting  against  the  illegality 
in  both  cases.  He  was  then,  after  giving  hostages, 
allowed  to  "  depart  the  realm."  Once  abroad  he 
wandered  about,  and  we  next  hear  of  him  actively 
engaged  in  arranging  for  the  ransom  of  his  King, 
Richard  Coeur  de  Lion,  who  had  been  captured  by  the 
Germans,  on  his  way  back  from  the  Crusades,  and  held 
up  to  ransom  ;  the  German  code  of  honour  being  no 
higher  in  those  days  than  in  these.  A  few  years  later, 
when  employed  by  Richard  on  a  mission  to  Rome,  he 
fell  sick  at  Poitiers  and  died  there  January  31st,  1 1 97. 

Of  Hugh  de  Bigod,  Earl  of  Norfolk,  there  is  not  much 

^  A.D.  1189-90. 


58  THE  TOWER   FROM  WITHIN 

to  trace  as  Constable,  though  one  incident  in  his  career 
remains  on  record  which  shows  that  he  feared  no  man. 
Being  ordered  by  Henry  III  to  lead  an  expedition 
abroad  he  flatly  refused  to  do  so.  The  King  was  naturally 
somewhat  annoyed,  and  angrily  exclaimed,  "  Fore  God, 
Sir  Earl,  you  shall  go  or  hang,"  to  which  the  Earl  with 
equal  warmth  replied,  "  Fore  God,  I  will  neither  go  nor 
hang."  And  as  the  historian  laconically  remarks  "  nor 
did  he."i 

Reluctant  as  we  must  be  to  pass  over  generations  and 
centuries  of  Constables  without  giving  their  biographies 
the  limits  of  space  unhappily  intervene.  To  write  even 
briefly  the  lives  of  a  hundred  and  thirty-four  Constables 
would  be  a  monumental  work  ;  but  many  of  them  will 
appear  incidentally  in  the  course  of  future  chapters. 

As  complete  a  list  of  the  Constables  as  it  has  been 
found  possible  to  make  will  be  found  later,-  and  those 
who  are  interested  in  all,  or  any,  may  spend  many  profit- 
able hours  in  the  British  Museum  following  their 
careers. 

Having  thus  reluctantly  passed  by  some  hundreds  of 
Constables,  we  will  make  a  considerable  stride  to  more 
modern  times,  and  cannot  perhaps  do  better  than  take 
up  the  thread  with  the  Iron  Duke. 

It  may  seem  almost  superfluous  to  mention  more  than 
the  name  of  the  first  Duke  of  Wellington,  for  his  fame  is 
universal ;  yet  would  a  roll  of  the  Constables  be  in- 
complete without  a  brief  sketch  of  this  great  soldier. 
Born  in  1769,  he  became  Constable  of  the  Tower  in 
1826,  and  in  the  interval,  amongst  many  achievements, 
won  the  battle  of  Assaye,  came  victorious  through  the 
Peninsular  War,  and  defeated  Napoleon  at  the  Battle  of 
W^aterloo.  Such  in  four  lines  would  be  the  Duke's 
career,  but  perhaps  it  may  be  slightly  extended.  A  poor 
man,  but  with  influential  friends  and  relations,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-four  he  was  a  Lieutenant-Colonel  and 
commanding  the  33rd  Foot,  now  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton's Own.    In  India  he  saw  much  service  in  high  com- 

^  Tower  oj  London,  by  Lord  de  Ros.  ^  See  Appendix. 


THE  CONSTABLE   OF  TETE  TOWER       59 

mand,  won  the  battles  of  Seringapatam  and  Alimcd- 
nagar,  and  became  a  Major-General  after  fifteen  years' 
total  service.  For  the  victory  of  Assaye  he  was  made  a 
K.C.B.,  and  became  Sir  Arthur  Welleslcy.  ^  As  a  Lieu- 
tenant-General,  with  twenty-one  years'  service  only,  he 
embarked  in  command  of  the  British  division  to  take 
part  in  the  Peninsula  War,  and  a  year  later,  after  the 
battle  of  Talavera,  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley  was  raised  to 
the  peerage  as  Baron  Douro  of  Wellesley  and  Viscount 
Wellington  of  Talavera,  with  an  annuity  of  £2,000.  In 
1 814  at  the  victorious  end  of  the  Peninsular  War  he  was 
created  Marquis  of  Douro  and  Duke  of  WelUngton 
with  an  annuity  of  £13,000,  or  in  Heu  a  sum  of  £400,000 
wherewith  to  purchase  an  estate.  In  181 5  he  won  the 
battle  of  Waterloo,  and  Napoleon  was  driven  into  final 
captivity.  For  this  signal  service  the  Duke  received  a 
grant  of  £200,000  ;  the  estate  of  Strathfieldsaye  which 
cost  £263,000,  and  also  Apsley  Elouse,  were  presented  to, 
him  by  the  nation.  He  was  at  the  same  time  made 
Prince  of  Waterloo  with  a  large  estate  in  Belgium.  To 
these  great  heights,  to  riches  and  glory,  his  military 
genius  had  led  him  at  the  early  age  of  forty-six. 

It  was  eleven  years  after  Waterloo  that  the  Duke  was 
made  Constable  of  the  Tower,  and  at  once  brought^  to 
bear  his  influence  and  practical  experience  in  making 
the  Tower  of  London  once  again  a  historic  gem  in  the 
Enghsh  crown.  As  a  fortress  it  had  now  outlived  its 
day,  for  the  growing  power  of  artillery,  the  weight  of 
projectiles,  and  inventions  in  explosives  would  make  it 
untenable  ;  but  it  was  possible  to  arrest  decay,  to  repair 
and  reconstruct,  to  clean  what  had  become  an  augean 
stable,  and  to  give  the  old  Tower  a  new  Hfe  as  a  monu- 
ment of  the  past. 

It  was  the  Duke's  influence  and  personal  interest  that 
set  these  reforms  in  progress,  and  so  impressed  Queen 
Victoria  that  the  work  was  carried  on  step  by  step  long 
after  the  ducal  Constable  had  been  gathered  to  his  fathers. 

Amongst  the  later  Constables  comes  Field-Marshal 
Sir  John  Fox  Burgoyne,  a  Royal  Engineer,  and  one  of 


So  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

the  Duke  of  Wellington's  veterans  of  the  Peninsula. 
This  old  soldier,  born  in  1782,  had  as  a  subaltern  been 
with  Sir  John  Moore  in  the  retreat  from  Corunna  ;  and 
he  it  was  who  blew  up  the  bridges  that  saved  the  army. 
He  served  in  nearly  all  the  great  battles  in  the  Peninsula, 
and  also  took  part  in  the  American  War.  In  later  life, 
now  a  G.C.B.  and  Lieutenant-General,  he  was  employed 
in  the  Crimean  War  ;  for  his  services  being  later  created 
a  Baronet.  In  1865  he  became  Constable  of  the  Tower, 
and  in  1868  a  Field-Marshal. 

So  obscure  in  the  course  of  centuries  had  become  the 
burial-places  of  the  great  ones  of  the  past  that  a  some- 
what unfortunate  mistake  accompanied  the  sepulture  of 
this  gallant  old  soldier.  When  in  ancient  days  Queen 
Anne  Boleyn,  or  Lady  Jane  Grey,  or  any  other  now 
historic  personage,  was  after  execution  buried  in  the 
Chapel  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula,  the  ceremony  was  brief 
and  secret,  the  graves  sometimes  were  but  two  feet 
deep,  the  earth  hastily  stamped  down,  and  the  flagstones, 
without  name  or  mark  or  number,  replaced.  Thus  for 
long  their  resting-places  became  completely  lost  and 
forgotten. 

When  it  was  decided  to  bury  Sir  John  Fox  Burgoyne 
in  the  chancel  of  the  Chapel  it  was  naturally  not  for  a 
moment  thought  that  any  desecration  was  being  com- 
mitted. The  Field-Marshal  was  therefore  duly  buried 
in  that  spot,  but  during  the  construction  of  his  resting- 
place  it  became  at  once  apparent  that  a  disturbance  of 
older  bones  had  taken  place. 

This  was  one  of  the  discoveries  which  led  Queen 
Victoria  to  order  the  assembly  of  the  committee  of 
experts  in  1876,  to  whose  careful  research  and  reverent 
rearrangement  the  present  satisfactory  solution  of  the  very 
difficult  and  delicate  problem  is  due.^ 

Field-Marshal  Lord  Napier  of  Magdala  was  the  first 
officer  of  the  Indian  Army  to  be  made  Constable  of  the 
Tower.  Born  in  18 10  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
Honourable  East   India  Company  as  an  engineer,  and 

^  See  also  chapter  xvi. 


THE  CONSTABLE  OF  THE  TOWER      61 

during  the  greater  part  of  his  early  career  was  employed 
in  civil  engineering  work.  His  first  employment  was  in 
the  construction  of  canals,  and  later  in  laying  out  and 
building  cantonments  for  the  troops.  Darjeeling  and 
the  road  to  it,  the  cantonments  of  Amballa,  Kasauli, 
Sabathu,  and  Dagshai  were  all  planned  by  him.  During 
the  Sikh  Wars  he  was  employed  as  a  field  engineer  and 
also  as  a  staff  officer.  Again  reverting  to  civil  work  he 
constructed  the  Grand  Trunk  Road  from  Lahore  to 
Pershawur,  as  well  as  inaugurating  a  canal  system  of  250 
miles  in  the  Punjab.  During  the  Indian  Mutiny  he 
took  an  active  part  ;  first  having  command  of  troops 
towards  the  end  of  that  campaign,  when  sent  in  pursuit 
of  Tantia  Topi,  for  which  service  he  was  made  a  K.C.B. 
In  the  China  War  of  i860  he  commanded  a  Division, 
and  as  a  reward  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major- 
General.  Later  when  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
Bombay  Army  he  was  entrusted  with  the  conduct  of 
the  Abyssinian  Expedition  of  1868  ;  which  was  brilhantly 
and  speedily  brought  to  a  victorious  conclusion.  His 
services  on  this  occasion  were  liberally  rewarded  with  a 
peerage,  a  G.C.B.,  and  a  G. C.S.I.  In  1870  he  was  made 
Commander-in-Chief  in  India,  and  six  years  later 
Governor  of  Gibraltar.  In  1883  he  became  a  Field- 
Marshal,  and  in  1886  was  appointed  Constable  of  the 
Tower.  He  died  in  1890  and  was  buried  in  St.  Paul's 
Cathedral. 

Field-Marshal  Sir  Evelyn  Wood,  the  one  hundred  and 
thirty-fourth,  and  present  Constable  of  the  Tower,  has 
had  a  more  varied  and  distinguished  career  than  many 
of  his  predecessors.  He  is  not,  nor  has  been,  a  prelate, 
but  he  has  been  a  member  of  several  professions  which 
were  graced  by  neither  Geofi'rey  de  Mandeville,  Thomas 
a  Becket,  nor  Wilham  Longchamp.  So  far  back  as  1852, 
as  a  small  boy  of  fourteen  he  entered  the  Royal  Navy, 
and  two  years  later  was  fighting  with  the  Naval  Brigade 
in  the  Crimea.  There  he  was  severely  wounded,  was 
mentioned  in  despatches,  and  made  a  Knight  of  the 
Legion  of  Honour. 


62  TPIE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Sir  Evelyn  then  transferred  to  the  cavalry,  and  was 
first  in  the  13th  Light  Dragoons, ^  and  later  in  the 
17th  Lancers.  With  this  latter  regiment  he  served 
during  the  Indian  Mutiny,  and  there  earned  the  soldier's 
highest  distinction,  the  Victoria  Cross.  First  a  sailor 
then  a  cavalryman,  he  now  took  promotion  to  the 
infantry,  and  joined  the  90th  Foot.  Not  content  with 
this  wide  field  of  experience.  Sir  Evelyn  next  read  for 
the  law,  ate  his  dinners,  and  was  called  to  the  Bar  of  the 
Middle  Temple.  And  many  a  time  must  he  have  passed 
the  bones  of  Geoffrey  de  Mandeville  lying  buried  near 
the  western  entrance  of  the  Temple  Church.  Still  on 
study  bent  he  passed  through  the  Staff  College,  whilst 
in  every  war  he  took  a  part — Ashantec,  Katlir,  Zulu, 
Transvaal,  and  Egypt.  A  brigade,  a  division,  an  army 
corps  he  in  turn  commanded  ;  and  was  first  Quarter- 
master-General and  then  Adjutant- General  of  the  army. 
His  long  and  distinguished  military  career  led  to  a  Field- 
Marshal's  baton,  whilst  as  Constable  of  the  Tower  he 
became  a  worthy  successor  to  many  a  great  and  illus- 
trious predecessor. 

The  Constable's  connection  with  the  Tower  of 
London  has  been,  except  in  name,  for  many  centuries 
but  a  slender  one.  True  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  in  his 
tight  white  overalls  and  blue  coat,  made  the  Tower 
a  frequent  object  for  his  morning  rides  from  Apslcy 
House  ;  but  centuries  have  elapsed  since  the  Constable 
resided  in  the  ancient  stronghold.  Architecturally  the 
old  Tower  of  London  has  been  rescued  from  the  decay 
of  ages,  and  stands  nov/  as  it  did  in  the  days  of  the  great 
monarchs  of  the  historic  past.  But  it  still  needs  the 
human  touch  to  restore  and  preserve  it,  as  the  revived 
centre  of  the  most  entrancing  and  glorious,  as  well  as 
tragic  history,  which  perhaps  the  world  can  produce. 

'  Now  13  th  Hussars. 


V 
THE  LIEUTENANT 

I'he  Lieutenant's  ancient  office— His  pay  [7.0  per  annum — His 
emoluments — "  Of  daynties  a  certaync  quantitic  " — Out- 
witted by  Sir  William  Seymour — Perquisites  abolished  for 
fixed  pay— Sir  Allan  Apsley's  salary  ^2,500— The  Lieutenant's 
Lodgings — Name  changed  to  "  King's  House  " — Now  official 
abode  of  the  Major  and  Resident  Governor — ^The  Lieutenant 
in  Tudor  and  Stuart  days — Sir  John  Brydges — Sir  John  Peyton 
— Sir  George  Harvey— Sir  William  Waad— Sir  Gervasc 
Helwyss — Sir  Bevil  Skelton,  the  last  resident  Lieutenant — 
The  Lieutenant's  table— And  the  company  thereat — The 
Deputy-Lieutenant  or  Lieutenant-Governor — Lord  de  Ros 
the  last— The  Majors  of  the  Towers  since  1690— The  Major 
and  Resident  Governor. 

SCARCELY  less  famous,  and  almost  as  ancient  as 
the  Constable,  is  the  office  of  Lieutenant  of  the 
Tower.  Probably  there  was  a  Lieutenant  de 
jacto  in  the  days  of  the  Conqueror,  but  the 
first  to  be  mentioned  are  Giles  dc  Oudenarde  in  1274 
and  Ralph  Bavant  about  1 33 1 .  In  the  reign  of  Richard  II 
it  was  ordained  that  the  Constable  should,  out  of  his  pay, 
which  was  then  ;£ioo  per  annum,  give  to  the  Lieutenant 
fjio.  Without  the  least  doubt  too  the  Lieutenant  was 
not  expected  to  live  on  £20  a  year,  but  had  recognized 
perquisites  wherewith  to  increase  his  income. 

Indeed  in  the  halcyon  days  of  the  Lieutenancy  his 
emoluments  possibly  exceeded  those  of  the  Constable. 
They  were  both  on  much  the  same  lines,  but  the  Lieutenant 
being  of  a  lower  grade  could  use  his  powers  of  pecuniary 
persuasion  without  excessive  delicacy.  Amongst  his  chief 
emoluments  was  a  regulated  tax  on  all  prisoners,  calcu- 
lated on  their  reputed  incomes.    This  was  allowed  at  the 

63 


64  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

rate  of  ^z  on  every  hundred  marks ^  of  income,  which  in 
the  case  of  a  rich  prisoner  reaHzed  a  considerable  sum. 
From  the  ships  bringing  wine  from  abroad,  he  claimed 
a  "  roundlett  of  wine,"  and  out  of  all  arriving  ships  "  of 
daynties  a  certayne  quantitie."^  The  Lieutenant  also 
took  his  share  of  the  fish  caught  between  London  Bridge 
and  the  Tower,  and  no  doubt  took  toll  of  the  cattle  that 
fell  off  that  bridge,  before  they  reached  the  Constable. 
To  him  also  accrued  all  articles  of  furniture  purchased 
by  prisoners  to  furnish  their  quarters,  and  left  by  them 
as  was  obligatory,  when  they  were  executed  or  released. 
This  in  the  case  of  rich  or  extravagant  prisoners  was  no 
mean  acquisition,  though  doubtless  occasionally,  as  in 
the  case  of  Sir  William  Seymour,  the  Lieutenant  was 
left  lamenting.  This  astute  and  extravagant  gentleman, 
afterwards  Duke  of  Somerset,^  was  lodged  in  St.  Thomas' 
Tower,  and  ordered  for  the  furnishing  thereof  expensive 
tapestries,  plate,  and  furniture,  for  which  he  failed  to 
pay,  and  for  which  after  Sir  William's  escape  the  Lieu- 
tenant was  sued.  That  indignant  official  might  per- 
chance by  sale  have  got  his  money  back,  but  unfortun- 
ately the  prisoner  had,  with  regal  prodigality,  cut  the 
most  valuable  tapestries  so  as  to  fit  the  fire-places.  Later 
in  the  sixteenth  century  these  various  and  dubious 
means  of  earning  a  salary  were  discountenanced,  and  a 
fixed  income  of  two  hundred  marks  a  year  was  allotted 
to  the  Lieutenant.  In  the  sumptuous  days  of  Charles  II, 
although  the  Exchequer  was  chronically  bare,  and  all 
officials  found  difficulty  in  getting  any  pay  at  all,  the 
salary  of  the  Lieutenant,  Sir  Allan  Apsley,  was  fixed  at 
the  princely  rate  of  [z^^oo  a  year,  but  it  is  doubtful 
whether  he  received  it  even  spasmodically,  for  he  died 
very  deeply  in  debt.  Later,  in  the  eighteenth  century 
the  pay  of  the  Lieutenant  was  fixed  at  ^^700  per  annum. 

^  A  mark  was  apparently  worth  fifteen  shillings. 

*  Davey. 

'  This  is  the  Duke  of  Somerset,  who,  as  Sir  William  Seymour,  married 
the  Lady  Arabella  Stuart,  and  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  his  pre- 
decessor in  the  title,  the  Lord  Protector. 


THE  LIEUTENANT  65 

From  the  time  when  the  Constable  gave  up  his  resi- 
dence in  the  Tower,  and  used  the  Lieutenant  more 
permanently  as  his  representative,  he  became  the  most 
prominent  official  connected  with  the  Tower.  This 
was  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VHL  The  Constable's  Tower 
was  vacated  and  turned  into  a  prison  or  quarter  for 
officers,  and  a  new  house,  known  as  the  Lieutenant's 
Lodgings,  was  built  for  the  Lieutenant.^ 

In  the  long  list  of  Lieutenants  there  are  many  celebrated 
and  distinguished  officers,  others  who  are  known  in  the 
history  of  the  Tower  as  the  custodians  of  famous  men 
and  women ;  some  even  are  stamped  with  the  mark  of 
Cain.  As  in  the  case  of  the  Constables  it  might  try  the 
reader's  patience  if  a  full  biography  of  each  Lieutenant 
were  given,  but  perhaps  it  may  be  permissible  to  touch 
lightly  on  a  few  of  the  more  prominent  who  have  held 
this  historic  title. 

Sir  Richard  Cholmondeley,  Kt.,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
Lieutenants  of  whom  there  is  a  record  ;  though  possibly 
if  he  had  not  in  his  lifetime  provided  himself  with  a 
very  massive  and  expensive  sarcophagus,  we  might  never 
have  heard  of  him.  He  was  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower 
during  the  reign  of  Henry  VII,  and  long  before  he  died 
had  a  costly  casket  in  alabaster  made  in  which  he  and  his 
lady  were  to  lie.  Outside  this  their  Hfe-sized  effigies  in 
marble  sleep  peacefully,  but  inside  of  it  their  bodies 
never  lay,  for  they  died  and  were  buried  elsewhere. 
This  monument  remains  in  very  good  preservation  to 
this  day  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula.  In  1876  when  it  was 
being  moved  from  one  part  of  the  Chapel  to  another  it 
was  found  to  contain  portions  of  an  ancient  font  dating 
to  early  Tudor  days  ;  this  has  now  been  put  together 
and  erected  in  the  Chapel.  Sir  Richard,  who  belonged 
to  an  old  Cheshire  family,  served  under  the  Earl  of 
Surrey  at  Flodden  Field  in  15 13,  but  his  claim  to 
military  fame  seems  to  rest  on  his  having  been  the  first 
to  fire  cannons  on  the  city  of  London.  There  was 
apparently  a  periodical  riot  in  process,  this  time  between 

1  See  p.  73. 

F 


66  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

the  Londoners  and  the  Lombards,  the  forerunner  of 
centuries  of  ante-aUen  agitations  ;  and  Sir  Richard,  who 
highly  disapproved  of  popular  demonstrations  especially 
where  aliens  were  concerned,  thought  this  a  useful 
occasion  for  trying  the  effect  of  his  new  cannons.  There- 
fore, according  to  the  ancient  chronicler,  "  whilst  this 
ruffling  continued  Syr  Richard  Cholmley,  Knight, 
Lieutenant  of  the  Towre,  no  great  frende  to  the  citie, 
in  a  frantyke  fury  losed  certayn  peces  of  ordinance,  and 
shot  into  the  citie,  which  did  little  harmc,  howbeit  his 
good  wyll  apeered." 

Sir  Leonard  Skeffington,  who  succeeded  him,  is  chiefly 
known  to  fame  as  the  inventor  of  a  form  of  torture 
known  as  the  "  Scavenger's  Daughter,"  the  title  being  a 
rude  corruption  of  the  inventor's  surname.  The  lady 
may  be  seen  in  the  Tower  to  this  day.^ 

Sir  John  Brydges  was  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  when 
Lady  Jane  Grey  was  first  made  a  prisoner,  and  she  lodged 
with  him  for  a  few  days  till  moved  to  the  Gentlemen 
Gaolers'  quarters  next  door.  Sir  John  was  an  old  soldier 
who  had  distinguished  himself  and  earned  his  spurs  in 
the  wars  with  France  in  Henry  VIII's  reign.  He  seems 
to  have  been  a  kind  and  courteous  gentleman,  and  treated 
the  unfortunate  lady  with  every  consideration.  The 
reason  is  not  recorded  for  the  transfer  of  Lady  Jane  from 
the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings,  which  were  built  for  the 
accommodation  of  like  prisoners  of  distinction,  to  the 
humbler  abode  ;  but  perhaps  the  queen  of  a  few  days 
preferred  the  seclusion  she  there  enjoyed  to  the  em- 
barrassing company  that  might  be  met  at  the  Lieutenant's 
table. 

It  was  Sir  John  Brydges'  sad  duty  first  to  conduct  her 
husband,  Lord  Guildford  Dudley,  to  the  scaffold  on 
Tower  Hill,  and  then  Lady  Jane  herself  to  the  place  of 
execution  on  Tower  Green.  Amongst  other  notable 
prisoners  in  his  charge  were  Archbishop  Cranmer,  as 
well  as  Bishops  Latimer  and  Ridley,  the  three  martyrs 
afterwards  burnt  at  Oxford. 

^  See  p.  219. 


THE  LIEUTENANT  6-] 

It  was  Sir  John  too  who  received  at  the  Traitor's 
Gate  the  Princess  EHzabeth,  afterwards  Queen  ;  and 
he  it  was  who  consoled  and  supported  her,  as  weeping 
bitterly  she  made  her  way  up  to  the  Lieutenant's 
Lodgings  and  the  Bell  Tower. 

His  last  duty  as  Lieutenant  was  to  arrange  for  the 
execution  of  Sir  Thomas  Wyat,  the  chief  figure  in  the 
Wyat  rebellion  against  Queen  Mary. 

In  1554  Sir  John  was  made  a  peer  under  the  title  of 
Lord  Chandos  of  Sudeley  and  handed  over  the  Lieu- 
tenancy to  his  brother  Thomas. 

Sir  Owen  Hopton  has  not  left  a  very  good  impression. 
He  is  described  by  a  contemporary  as  a  "  serpentine 
person,"  one  who  will  commit  any  meanness  to  curry 
favour.  It  was  he  who  when  Lieutenant  dressed  himself 
as  a  priest,  and  impersonating  Dr.  Story,  under  seal  of 
confession,  obtained  from  Charles  Bailly^  all  the  informa- 
tion he  was  possessed  of  regarding  the  Ridolii  Plot.  It 
was  during  his  Lieutenancy  that  Henry  Percy,  Earl  of 
Northumberland,  was  murdered  in  the  Bloody  Tower. - 
The  blame  for  this  crime  is  laid  on  the  shoulders  of  Sii" 
Christopher  Hatton,  but  it  seems  doubtful  if  it  could 
have  been  committed  without  the  complacency  at  least 
of  the  Lieutenant.  He  was  a  hard  gaoler  too  as  many  a 
prisoner  found,  and  has  recorded.  One  of  his  most  d.is- 
tinguished  prisoners  was  Philip  Howard,  Earl  of  Arundel, 
who  was  imprisoned  in  the  Beauchamp  Tower  \^  and 
that  nobleman's  name  appears  in  the  list  of  those  handed 
over  to  his  successor.  Sir-  Michael  Blount. 

Sir  Richard  and  Sir  Michael  BLjunt,  father  and  son, 
arc  chicHy  held  in  memory  by  the  monument  the}- 
erected  to  themselves  and  their  families  in  St.  Peter's 
Chapel.*  The  Earl  of  Arundel  complained  bitterly  of 
the  severity  of  l.is  treatment  by  Sir  Michael  ;  but  on 
his  death-bed  wlien  the  Lieutenant  expressed  his  sorrow 
and  asked  for  forgiveness  he  frankly  gave  it.  The  Earl, 
however,  took  the  occasion  to  add  "  when  a  prisoner  comes 
hither  to  this  Tower,  he  bringeth  sorrow  with  him  ;  then 

^  See  p.  28.         '  bee  p.  17.         '  See  p.  252.         *  See  p.  246. 


68  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

do  not  add  affliction  to  affliction.  Your  commission  is 
only  to  keep  with  safety  not  to  kill  with  severity."  We 
read  that  the  Lieutenant  went  out  of  the  chamber 
weeping. 

Sir  John  Peyton  was  Lieutenant  during  the  latter  part 
of  Queen  Elizabeth's  reign  and  at  the  commencement 
of  that  of  James  I.  Many  distinguished  prisoners  were 
in  his  charge,  the  chiefest  being  those  accused  of  being 
engaged  in  the  Arabella  Plot.  Amongst  these  were 
Lord  Cobham  and  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  both  of  whom 
dined  at  his  table.  There  is  little  doubt  that  he  was 
expected  to  play  the  complacent  role  followed  by  some 
of  his  predecessors,  and  allow  Sir  Walter  to  be  murdered  ; 
and  he  was  led  to  understand  that  on  the  death  of  that 
inconvenient  person  the  rich  appointment  of  Governor 
of  Jersey  would  fall  to  him.  Sir  John,  however,  was  an 
honest  man  and  would  have  none  of  this  ;  under  pretext 
therefore  that  he  had  been  neglectful  of  his  duties  he 
was  dismissed,  and  Sir  George  Harvey  was  appointed  in 
liis  place. 

This  Lieutenant  also  proved  a  disappointment ;  he 
seems  to  have  treated  his  prisoners  with  some  con- 
sideration. Lady  Harvey  helped  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  to 
obtain  chemicals  for  his  experiments,  whilst  young 
Harvey  was  very  useful  to  the  distinguished  prisoner 
in  carrying  messages  for  him.  This  would  not  do 
at  all,  so  Harvey  went  and  Sir  William  Waad  became 
Lieutenant. 

Sir  William  Waad  bears  a  somewhat  mixed  reputation. 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh  labelled  him  "  that  beast  Waad," 
which  opprobrious  epithet  has  clung  to  him  as  a  mantle. 
Yet  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  though  severe  as  a 
gaoler,  grasping  as  a  Lieutenant,  and  a  merciless  torturer, 
he  was  at  least  no  murderer  or  accessor  to  murder,  and 
lost  his  post  for  not  coming  up  to  expectation  in  this 
respect.  Many  celebrated  prisoners  were  under  his 
charge,  and  many  besides  Sir  Walter  dined  at  his  table, 
tlic  most  exalted  perhaps  being  the  Lady  Arabella 
Stuart.    His  chief  prominence,  however,  as  Lieutenant 


THE  LIEUTENANT  69 

was  in  connection  with  the  trial  and  torture  of  Guy 
Fawkes  and  his  fellow-conspirators.^  It  was  over  the 
matter  of  Sir  Thomas  Overbury  that  he  received  his 
dismissal.  That  Knight  was  doomed  and  it  being 
thought  doubtful  whether  Sir  William  Waad  would 
connive  at  his  murder  it  was  considered  advisable  to  get 
rid  of  him.  He  was,  therefore,  under  threat  of  being 
accused  of  stealing  Lady  Arabella  Stuart's  jewelry  and 
plate,  induced  to  resign  in  favour  of  Sir  Gervase  Helwyss, 
the  consideration  paid  being  _£i,400,  with  ;^6oo  to  follow 
if  he  held  his  counsel. 

His  successor  in  the  Lieutenancy  was  Sir  Gervase 
Helwyss,-  appointed  through  the  influence  of  the 
Somersets,  and  held  to  be  a  willing  tool.  He  and  his 
descendants  have  denied  that  he  was  directly  implicated 
in  the  poisoning  of  Sir  Thomas  Overbury,  but  two 
years  later  he  was  tried  by  a  Court  of  Justice,  and 
sentenced  to  be  hanged,  drawn,  and  quartered  at 
Tyburn.  He  pleaded,  however,  that  the  sentence  might 
be  carried  out  in  the  less  felonious  surroundings  of  Tower 
Hill,  and  there  in  due  course  a  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower 
met  his  fate,  in  full  view  of  his  late  command. 

Sir  Allan  Apsley,  who  came  next,  though  somewhat  an 
adventurer,  especially  in  the  marriage  market,  where  he 
had  made  three  successful  coups,^  was  not  an  assassin 
nor  a  complacent  onlooker  at  nefarious  practices.  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh  was  doubtless  a  troublesome  person  ;  he 
was  too  very  popular  outside,  and  difficult  to  dispose  of 
judicially.  It  would  therefore  be  highly  convenient  if, 
like  the  young  Princes,  or  Sir  Thomas  Overbury,  he 
were  to  die  suddenly  in  the  Tower.  Disappointed  in  any 
hope  of  Sir  Allan  Apsley's  complacency  in  this  nefarious 
design,  a  special  agent.  Sir  Thomas  Wilson,  was  intro- 
duced, who  was  to  intervene  between  the  Lieutenant 
and  his  prisoner  and  was  to  have  sole  charge  of  Sir 

*  See  p.  228. 

2  This  name  is  spelt  in  various  ways  even  by  tlie  holder.  The  modern 
spelling  is  Elwes. 

'  Only  two  are  recorded  on  his  monument, 


70  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Walter,  with  a  view  to  bringing  about  the  desired  con- 
summation. Raleigh,  however,  proved  too  old  a  soldier 
for  Wilson,  and  escaping  secret  assassination  met  his 
death  on  the  scaffold  on  the  sentence  of  a  Court  held 
fifteen  years  before.^ 

Sir  John  Robinson  became  Lieutenant  in  1660  on  the 
accession  of  Charles  II,  following  a  period  of  seventeen 
years,  during  which  there  appears  to  have  been  no  one 
appointed  officially  to  the  post.  Sir  John  combined  also 
the  duties  of  Constable,  and  during  two  years  was  Lord 
Mayor  of  London  as  well.  Amongst  the  celebrated 
prisoners  in  his  charge  were  George  Villiers,  Duke  of 
Buckingham,  and  William  Penn  the  founder  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Sir  John  Robinson  was  succeeded  as  Lieutenant  by 
Captain  Tom  Cheek,  whose  name  came  prominently 
into  the  history  of  the  Tower  in  connection  with  the 
murder,  or  suicide,  of  Arthur  Capel,  Earl  of  Essex,^  in  the 
reign  of  James  11.  Whether  Check  had  anything  to  do 
with  the  crime,  if  crime  it  was,  is  not  clear,  but  when  a 
very  junior  officer  is  put  into  an  appointment  usually 
held  by  those  of  considerable  rank,  and  immediately 
after  a  suspicious  tragedy  occurs,  it  is  no  matter  for 
surprise  that  popular  sentiment  of  the  time  was  inclined 
to  condemn  him. 

Sir  Edward  Hales  was  Lieutenant  during  the  brief 
imprisonment  of  James  Duke  of  Monmouth,  and  had 
him  as  a  lodger.  Sir  Edward  was  himself  committed  to 
the  Tower  for  treason  a  few  years  later. 

The  last  of  the  Lieutenants  to  live  permanently  in  the 
Tower  was  Sir  Bevil  Skelton,  for  we  find  it  recorded, 
when  Lieut.-General  Hatton  Compton  was  Lieutenant 
a  little  later,  that  "  since  the  flight  of  James  II  the 
Lieutenant  was  not  expected  to  reside  in  the  Tower,  his 
duties  falling  upon  either  a  Deputy-Governor,  or  Major 
of  the  Tower."  So  the  Lieutenant  in  1689,  or  there- 
abouts, followed  the  Constable  to  the  more  salubrious 
surroundings  of  a  private  residence  outside  the  Tower. 

i  See  p.  178,  *  See  p  214. 


THE  LIEUTENANT  71 

Both  these  migrations  may  probably  be  traced  to  the 
same  cause,  the  unhealthiness  of  the  Tower  in  those 
days,  and  the  perennial  diseases  and  squalor  that  pre- 
vailed, both  within  its  walls  and  amidst  its  environments. 
Sir  Bevil,  it  may  be  mentioned,  was  not  only  Lieu- 
tenant, but  had  himself  been  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower 
for  high  treason,  so  he  knew  it  from  both  aspects. 

The  Lieutenant,  when  he  resided  at  the  Tower,  kept 
a  table  at  which  the  distinguished  prisoners  from  the  Bell 
Tower  and  the  Bloody  Tower  joined  the  company. 
A  weekly  allowance  was  made  by  the  Treasury  to  the 
Lieutenant  for  the  feed  and  maintenance  of  such 
prisoners,  this  amount  being  debited  to  their  estates. 
The  company  at  the  Lieutenant's  table  must  often 
have  made  a  bright  hour  in  the  day  both  for  him 
and  his  prisoners,  for  in  the  days  when  the  Tower  was 
full  to  overflowing  with  State  prisoners  his  table  must 
have  been  crowded  with  many  of  the  most  interesting 
characters  of  the  period.  The  history  of  the  Tower 
might  almost  have  been  written  round  it. 

Since  the  Lieutenant  ceased  to  reside  permanently  at 
the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings  there  have  been  some  twenty- 
five  who  have  held  that  appointment,  and  amongst  these 
may  be  found  many  officers  of  high  distinction.^  The 
appointment  is  now  for  three  years  only,  and  is  given 
as  a  reward  to  general  officers  with  distinguished  service. 

When  the  Lieutenant  towards  the  end  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  gave  up  residing  permanently  in  the 
Tower,  his  work  mostly  devolved  on  an  officer  appointed 
as  his  deputy.  The  first  we  find  mentioned  is  Lieut.- 
Colonel  John  Farwell,  who  was  appointed  in  1690 
and  held  the  post  for  nineteen  years.  There  appear 
to  have  been  in  all  twelve  Deputy-Lieutenants,  or 
Lieutenant-Governors, 2  the  last  being  Colonel  Lord  de 
Ros,  who  was  appointed  in  1852,  The  occupant  appears 
generally  to  have  been  a  Colonel  or  Lieut.-Colonel  in 
the  Army,  and  the  appointment  seems  to  have  been  for 

^  For  the  List  of  Lieutenants  of  the  Tower  see  Appendix  B. 
"^  See  Appendix  C. 


72  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

life.  Colonel  Williamson  held  it  for  twenty-six  years, 
Colonel  Charles  Rains  forth  for  twenty-eight  years,  and 
Colonel  Yorke  for  thirty-one  years. 

There  came  also  to  be  appointed  a  Major  of  the 
Tower,  the  first  found  mentioned  being  Major  Thomas 
Hawley  in  1690.  This  is  very  possibly  the  same  "  Mr.  " 
Hawley  who  was  gentleman  gaoler  when  the  Earl  of 
Essex  "  cutt  his  throat  "  in  his  house  in  1683.  Hawley 
was  placed  in  custody,  but  after  enquiry  released.  The 
Major  of  the  Tower  was  occasionally  promoted  to  be 
Deputy-Lieutenant  or  Lieutenant-Governor,  as  in  the 
cases  of  Major  Robert  D'Oyly  and  Major  Richard  White. 
The  former  was  six  years  Major  and  nine  years  Deputy- 
Lieutenant,  whilst  the  latter  was  fifteen  years  in  the 
lower  appointment  and  one  year  in  the  higher.  In  1771 
occurred  a  break  of  several  years,  during  which  the 
Deputy-Lieutenant  probably  performed  both  duties. 

The  appointment  of  Major  of  the  Tower  was  appar- 
ently for  hfe,  for  we  find  that  Major  Charles  H.  Collins 
held  it  for  twenty-one  years,  whilst  Colonel  J.  H. 
Elrington  was  Major  for  no  less  than  forty-one  years. 
Sir  Bryan  Milman,  who  died  in  1 908,  held  it  for  thirty- 
nine  years.  This  latter  officer  was  also  styled  Resident 
Governor,  but  the  change  in  designation  was  not 
formally  gazetted  till  1911. 

In  the  nineteenth  century  the  office  of  Deputy- 
Lieutenant  or  Lieutenant-Governor  was  merged  into 
that  of  Major  of  the  Tower,  and  in  1911  the  title  was 
officially  changed  to  Major  and  Resident  Governor. 
There  have  been  in  all,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained, 
sixteen  Majors  of  the  Tower  from  1690  to  1911,  and 
one  Major  and  Resident  Governor.^  The  Major  and 
Resident  Governor  has  an  official  residence  in  the 
"  King's  House,"  the  old  Lieutenant's  Lodgings. 

From  this  and  the  previous  chapter  it  will  be  gathered 
that  the  Tower  is  now  under  the  control  of  three  officers, 
the  Constable,  the  Lieutenant,  and  the  Major  and 
Resident  Governor. 

^  See  Appendix  D, 


VI 

THE   LIEUTENANT'S   LODGINGS   AND   THE 
BELL  TOWER 

The  Lieutenant's  Lodgings— Built  by  Henry  VIII— The  Bell  Tower 
— Prisoners  of  distinction — The  belfry — The  prisoners'  rooms 
— ^The  Council  Chamber — Tablets — The  Lieutenant's  table — 
Sir  Thomas  More — His  execution — Story  of  his  head — Bishop 
of  Rochester — Old  and  infirm  but  executed — Princess  Eliza- 
beth— Her  fear  at  entering — The  Prisoners'  Walk — Released — 
Her  second  entry  as  Queen — Sir  Thomas  Wyat — Attacks  the 
Tower — Captured  and  put  to  the  rack — Hanged,  drawn,  and 
quartered — Lady  Katherine  Grey — Gives  birth  to  a  son  in  the 
Bell  Tower — Christened  over  the  bones  of  his  two  grand- 
fathers— Lady  Arabella  Stuart — James  Duke  of  Monmouth — 
Lady  Margaret  Douglas — Lord  Nithsdale's  escape — The 
Scottish  Lords — Lord  Lovat's  body  exposed  for  hire — The 
last  victim  of  the  block — No  shadov/s  of  the  past, 

THESE  historic  buildings,  which  structurally 
are  joined  together,  have  a  combined  history 
which  makes  them  perhaps  of  greater  human 
interest  than  any  other  in  the  Tower.  They 
have  not  such  an  ancient  history  as  the  White  Tower, 
nor  the  same  cruel  records  as  the  Bloody  Tower  ;  they 
have  not  the  wealth  of  inscriptions  which  make  the 
Beauchamp  Tower  famous  ;  but  in  these  Lodgings  and 
the  adjoining  Tower  have  lived  their  days  of  imprison- 
ment a  great  and  illustrious  succession  of  the  brave,  the 
noble,  and  the  fair.  As  is  the  Tower  of  London  to  the 
history  of  England,  so  are  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings 
and  the  Bell  Tower  to  the  human  history  of  the  Tower 
of  London. 

The    Lieutenant's    Lodgings    consist    of    a    block   of 
Tudor  buildings  standing  at  the  south-west  corner  of 

7.3 


74  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Tower  Green,  with  one  wing  facing  north  and  the  other 
cast.  At  the  apex  stands  the  Bell  Tower,  a  much  older 
edifice  to  which  these  wings  were  added.  The  Bell 
Tower  was  probably  built  as  far  back  as  the  reign  of 
Richard  Cceur  de  Lion,  but  its  human  interest  became 
greatest  after  it  formed  a  portion  of  the  Lieutenant's 
Lodgings  in  the  days  of  Henry  VIII.  The  walls  of  this 
Tower  are  sohd  for  ten  feet  or  more  from  the  ground, 
and  above  are  two  storeys  used  as  State  prisons.  The 
upper  storey  is  known  as  the  "  Strong  Room  "  where 
prisoners  of  great  importance  were  imprisoned — a 
Princess  of  the  Blood,  a  Pretender  to  the  Throne,  a 
Prince  of  the  Church.  It  is  roughly  circular  in  shape, 
and  about  eighteen  feet  across.  The  walls  are  eight 
feet  thick,  with  small  windows  at  the  end  of  deep  em- 
brasures. The  ceihng  is  arched  and  groined,  and  a 
large  open  fireplace  stands  at  one  side.  The  only  ap- 
proach to  this  room  is  through  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings, 
but  there  is  also  a  small  exit  from  it  which  leads  on  to 
the  Prisoners'  Walk,  which  runs  along  the  high  ramparts 
from  the  Bell  Tower  to  the  Beauchamp  Tower.  After 
her  imprisonment  this  name  was  changed  to  Princess 
Elizabeth's  Walk,  for  she  used  it  much. 

The  lower  chamber  in  the  Bell  Tower  is  of  the  same 
size  and  shape  as  the  Strong  Room,  with  a  groined  roof 
and  immensely  thick  walls.  Here  also  prisoners  of  the 
first  importance  were  imprisoned,  the  only  entrance  or 
egress  being  through  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings.  But 
there  was  probably  originally  a  rampart  running  the 
whole  way  from  the  Bloody  Tower  to  the  Bell  Tower, 
the  eastern  portion  of  which  still  remains,  and  is  known 
as  Raleigh's  Walk. 

On  the  top  of  the  Bell  Tower  stands  the  ancient 
wooden  belfry  whence  rang  and  still  rings  the  evening 
curfew.  Engraved  on  the  bell  is  "  W.  B.^  165 1,"  probably 
a  successor  to  the  much  older  bell  which  in  days  of 
chivalry  summoned  the  Knights  of  the  Bath  to  their  all- 
night  vigil. 

^  Probably  the  initials  of  the  maker. 


THE  LIEUTENANT'S  LODGINGS  75 

The  western  wing  of  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings 
consists  of  two  upper  floors,  divided  up  into  small 
rooms,  for  the  accommodation  of  prisoners  of  distinc- 
tion, whilst  on  the  ground  floor  lived  their  servants, 
retainers,  and  guards.  I'he  basement,  now  known  as 
Henry  VIII's  cow-house,  covers  the  whole  area  of  this 
wing. 

In  the  south  wing  are  to  be  found  the  larger  rooms  in 
which  the  Lieutenant  and  his  family  were  accommodated, 
the  Council  Chamber,  and  the  dining-room  where  his 
enforced  guests  dined  at  the  Lieutenant's  table.  Of 
these  the  Council  Chamber,  which  is  on  the  top  floor,  is 
the  most  prominent,  chiefly  due  to  the  inscriptions 
placed  there  by  Sir  William  Waad,  and  the  bust  of 
James  I,  all  of  which  commemorate  directly  and  in- 
directly the  Gunpowder  Plot.  In  this  room  Guy 
Fawkes  was  tried  and  from  that  time,  now  more  than 
three  hundred  years  ago,  it  has  more  generally  become 
known  as  Guy  Fawkes'  Room.  The  chief  inscriptions 
which  are  couched  in  inferior  Latin  are  to  the  honour 
and  glory  of  King  James  and  his  family,  and  also  serve 
separately  and  incidentally  as  a  memorial  to  the  Lieu- 
tenant himself.    The  first  may  thus  be  translated  : 

"  James  the  Great,  King  of  Great  Britain,  Illustrious 
for  Piety,  Justice,  Foresight,  Learning,  Hardihood, 
Clemency,  and  other  Regal  Virtues  ;  champion  and 
patron  of  the  Christian  faith,  of  the  public  safety,  and 
of  universal  peace  ;  author  most  subtle,  most  august, 
and  most  auspicious." 

"  Queen  Ann,  the  most  serene  daughter  of  Frederick 
the  Second,  invincible  King  of  the  Danes." 

"  Prince  Henry,  ornament  of  Nature,  strengthened 
with  learning,  blest  with  grace,  born  and  given  to  us 
from  God." 

"  Charles,  Duke  of  York,^  divinely  disposed  to  every 
virtue." 

"  Elizabeth,  full  sister  of  both  ;  most  worthy  of  her 
parents." 

^  Afterwards  Charles  I. 


^e  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

"  Do  thou,  All-Seeing,  protect  these  as  the  apple  of 
the  eye,  and  guard  them  without  fear  from  wicked  men 
beneath  the  shadow  of  Thy  wings."" 

The  second  inscription  is  a  gracefully  veiled,  but  no 
less  obtrusive  tablet  to  commemorate  the  existence  of 
Sir  William  Waad  himself.    It  reads  : 

"  To  Almighty  God,  the  guardian,  arrester  and  avenger, 
who  has  punished  this  great,  and  incredible  conspiracy 
against  our  most  merciful  lord  the  King,  our  most 
serene  lady  the  Queen,  our  divinely-disposed  Prince,  and 
the  rest  of  our  Royal  House,  and  against  all  persons  of 
quality,  our  ancient  nobility,  our  soldiers,  prelates,  and 
judges  ;  the  authors  and  advocates  of  which  conspiracy, 
Romanized  Jesuits,  of  perfidious.  Catholic  and  serpent- 
like ungodliness,  with  others  equally  criminal  and  insane, 
were  moved  by  the  furious  desire  of  destroying  the  true 
Christian  religion,  and  by  the  treasonous  hope  of  over- 
throwing the  Kingdom,  root  and  branch  ;  and  which 
was  suddenly,  v/onder fully,  and  divinely  detected,  at 
the  very  moment  when  the  ruin  was  impending,  on  the 
fifth  day  of  November  in  the  Year  of  Grace  1605 — 
William  Waad,  whom  the  King  has  appointed  his 
Lieutenant  of  the  Tower,  returns,  on  the  ninth  of 
October  in  the  sixth  year  of  the  reign  of  James  ist,  1608, 
his  great  and  everlasting  thanks." 

The  trial  commenced  on  November  6th,  1605,  the 
day  after  the  attempt  to  blow  up  the  Houses  of  Parlia- 
ment, and  is  described  more  fully  elsewhere.^ 

Both  the  Council  Chamber  and  the  Lieutenant's 
dining-room,  which  is  on  the  floor  beneath,  in  those 
days  stretched  across  the  breadth  of  the  building.  Direct 
communication  from  the  Bloody  Tower  whence  prisoners 
came  to  dine  at  the  Lieutenant's  table,  to  judge 
from  a  model  of  the  Tower  of  that  period,  led  along  the 
high  rampart  known  as  Raleigh's  Walk. 

Venerable  as  is  the  Bell  Tower,  and  interesting  as  it  is 
to  the  archaeologist,  the  many  notable  prisoners  who 

^  See  p.  228. 


THE  LIEUTENANT'S   LODGINGS         77 

have  eaten  the  bread  of  affliction  within  its  massive  v^^alls 
give  an  added  and  Hving  lustre  to  its  ancient  history. 
As  far  back  as  1534  a  Lord  Chancellor  of  England  groped 
his  w^ay  into  its  gloomy  recesses.  His  name  was  Sir 
Thomas  More,  and  he  entered  this  dungeon  for  con- 
science' sake.  This  was  at  the  period  when  Henry  VIII 
began  to  combine  religious  intolerance  with  connubial 
exuberance.  Greatly  enraged  with  the  Pope  for  not 
granting  his  infallible  sanction  to  the  divorce  of  Queen 
Katherine  of  Ai-agon,  King  Henry  determined  to  do 
without  the  Pope,  and  declared  himself  head  of  the 
English  Church.  This  was  too  sudden  a  revolution,  and 
made  on  too  equivocal  grounds,  to  be  acceptable  to  all, 
but  Henry  VIII  was  a  despotic  monarch  of  the  old- 
fashioned  sort,  who  brooked  no  opposition,  and  there- 
fore promptly  consigned  to  the  Tower,  and  other  prisons, 
those  who  did  not  subscribe  to  the  royal  edict. 

Sir  Thomas  More,  perhaps  the  greatest  man  of  his 
age,  was  one  of  these.  Apart  from  his  high  official 
position  he  had  been  a  personal  and  intimate  friend  of 
the  King,  and  during  that  intimacy  he  had  learnt 
sufficient  concerning  the  carnal  affairs  of  his  sovereign 
to  make  it  difficult  for  him  to  conscientiously  acknow- 
ledge him  to  be  worthy  of  so  high  and  holy  a  position  as 
head  of  the  Church. 

After  an  imprisonment  of  a  year  and  three  months 
Sir  Thomas  More  was  on  July  ist,  1535,  tried  at  West- 
minster, and  was  condemned  and  sentenced  on  the 
main  charge,  which  was  that, 

"  He  had  behaved  maliciously  and  traitorously  against 
the  crown  and  regal  dignitie  of  his  sacred  majestic." 

His  return  journey  to  the  Tower  was  made  on  foot, 
the  axe  turned  towards  him.  The  execution  took  place 
on  Tower  Hill  on  July  6th,  the  sentence  including  that 
his  head  should  be  exposed  on  Tower  Bridge.  After 
the  execution  the  body  was  buried  in  the  Chapel  of 
St.  Peter  ad  Vincula,  and  the  head,  as  ordered,  was 
exposed  on  lower  Bridge.     Whether  it  was  blown  off 


78  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

into  the  river,  as  some  say,  or  whether  it  was  obtained 
by  feeing  the  custodians  of  the  gate,  is  not  certain  ;  but 
the  head  undoubtedly  came  into  the  possession  of  Sir 
Thomas  More's  daughter,  Margaret  Roper.  According 
to  the  story  this  lady  hired  a  boat  and  had  it  rowed 
under  London  Bridge,  and  the  head  fell  into  the 
water,  and  was  picked  up  by  her.  It  was  by  her_  pre- 
served, and  is  now  in  the  vault  of  the  Roper  family  at 
St.  Dunstan's  Church,  Canterbury.  Here  it  was  seen 
as  late  as  1835  by  the  Reverend  J.  Bowes  Bruce  of 
Canterbury  "  in  a  niche  in  the  wall,  in  a  leaden  box, 
something  of  the  shape  of  a  beehive,  open  in  the  front, 
and  with  an  iron  grating  before  it." 

Bishop  Fisher  of  Rochester,  who  came  to  the  Bell 
Tower,  at  the  same  time  and  in  the  same  cause  as  Sir 
Thomas  More,  was  an  old  man  of  seventy-nine,  reputed 
for  his  humihty  and  sanctity.  But  he  was  too  holy,_  and 
not  humble  enough,  to  accept  Henry  VIII  as  his  spiritual 
head.  He  was  a  poor  old  man  and  suffered  much  from 
lack  of  clothes,  and  warming,  and  food  ;  all  of  which 
required  a  rich  purse  in  the  Tower  in  those  days.  After 
a  year  and  two  months'  imprisonment  he  was  taken  to 
his  trial  on  June  17th,  1535,  and  condemned  to  death. 
Five  days  later  came  the  day  of  his  execution,  but  so  old 
and  infirm  was  he  that  he  had  to  be  carried  in  a  chair  to 
the  Bulwark  Gate,  where  he  was  handed  over  to  the 
Sheriffs.  A  message  from  the  King  had  reached  him 
that  he  was  to  make  no  long  speech  ;  he  spoke,  therefore, 
only  a  few  words,  repeated  the  Te  Dcum  and  the  31st 
Psalm,  and  then  "  without  more  ado,  lay  down  and  so 
entered  into  Heaven."  His  body  with  the  head  was 
first  buried  in  All  Hallow's,  Barking,  but  seven  years 
later  was  removed  to  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula  in  the 
Tower,  and  buried  beside  Sir  Thomas  More.^ 

When  Queen  Ehzabeth  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
and  four  years  before  she  came  to  the  throne,  the  Bell 
Tower  received  her  as  a  prisoner.  A  letter  written  by 
her  to  the  French  King,  together  with  despatches  from 

'  Arundel  MSS.  152,  f.  ijj,  and  Stowe. 


THE  LIEUTENANT'S  LODGINGS  79 

Noailles,  the  French  Ambassador,  were  intercepted  and 
brought  to  Queen  Mary.  From  these  it  appeared  that 
a  conspiracy  was  on  foot  to  marry  the  Princess  EHzabeth 
to  Edward  Courtenay,  Earl  of  Devonshire,  and  to  place 
her  on  the  throne.  Courtenay  was  made  a  prisoner  at 
the  same  time,  and  placed  also  in  the  Bell  Tower.  Sir 
Thomas  Wyat,  the  old  friend  and  admirer  of  Queen  Anne 
Boleyn,  the  Princess  Elizabeth's  mother,  was  the  hot- 
headed leader  of  this  rebellion.  He  was  taken  in  arms 
after  attacking  the  Tower  of  London,  and  put  to  the 
rack.  The  Princess  Elizabeth  was  brought  to  the  Tower 
on  Palm  Sunday  1554,  ^7  water,  for  fear  of  a  popular 
demonstration,  and  entered  the  same  gloomy  Traitor's 
Gate,  through  which  her  mother  had  passed  to  return 
no  more.i  Naturally  the  forbidding  augury  greatly 
upset  her,  and  she  could  with  difficulty  be  induced  by 
Sir  John  Brydges,  the  Lieutenant,  to  ascend  to  the  apart- 
ments prepared  for  her  and  her  attendants  in  the  Bell 
Tower,  and  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings.  When  she  had 
been  at  last  induced  to  enter,  the  Constable,  Sir  John 
Gage,  took  the  precaution  "  to  loke  the  dorcs  \'cry 
straytly,"  Confinement  made  the  Princess  hysterical, 
she  fancied  that  she  was  to  be  executed  immediately, 
and  she  even  went  so  far  as  to  ask  that  she  might  be 
despatched  in  the  French  fashion  with  a  sword,  as  had 
been  her  mother.  She  also  asked  whether  the  scaffold, 
on  which  Lady  Jane  Grey  had  been  beheaded,  had  been 
removed  ;  and  seemed  greatly  relieved  when  she  was 
told  that  it  had.^  Yet  this  is  the  same  Princess,  who  as 
a  Queen  made  the  historic  speech  to  the  troops  at  Tilbury, 
which  has  oft  been  quoted,  yet  bears  repeating  : 

"...  I  know  I  have  but  the  body  of  a  weak  and 
feeble  woman,  but  I  have  the  heart  of  a  king,  and  of  a 
king  of  England  too  ;  and  think  foul  scorn  that  Parma  or 
Spain,  or  any  prince  of  Europe,  should  dare  to  invade  the 
borders  of  my  realms ;  to  which  rather  than  any  dishonour 
should  grow  by  me,  I  myself  will  take  up  arms.  .  .  ." 

'  For  Queen  Anne  Boleyn's  imprisonment  in  the  J./ieu tenant';.  Lodgings 
see  p.  127.  2  D^vey,  p.  209  (Abb.  Edition). 


8o  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

During  the  first  month  or  so  the  imprisonment  was 
very  close,  and  the  Princess  was  not  allowed  out  of  her 
rooms ;  but  later  she  was  permitted  to  take  exercise  in 
the  narrow  promenade  which  runs  from  the  Bell  Tower 
to  the  Beauchamp  Tower.  This  promenade,  probably 
made  originally  as  a  banquette  for  the  soldiers  defending 
the  wall,  runs  past  the  upper  windows  of  the  Lieutenant's 
Lodgings.  It  was  therefore  strictly  enjoined  that  not 
only  was  the  Princess  to  be  accompanied  in  her  walk  by 
the  Lieutenant,  the  Lord  Chamberlain,  and  three  of  the 
Queen's  ladies ;  but  that  the  shutters  of  all  the  windows 
looking  on  the  walk  were  to  be  closed,  so  that  no  one 
might  even  cast  eyes  on  her,  much  less  hold  converse. 
A  procession  of  six  persons  in  this  narrow  way  must 
have  been  a  very  restricted  form  of  exercise.  Later, 
however,  the  Princess  was  still  further  enlarged,  and 
allowed  to  walk  in  the  Lieutenant's  Garden,  but  here 
she  was  surrounded  by  a  guard  of  soldiers,  and  the 
Constable  was  added  to  the  cortege. 

Queen  Mary,  who  was  sincerely  attached  to  her  sister, 
'  had  a  hard  fight  to  save  her  head ;  but  Bishop  Gardiner 
and  others  were  her  implacable  and  fanatical  enemies, 
and  left  no  stone  unturned  to  ruin  her.  The  Constable, 
Sir  John  Gage,  taking  his  orders  from  the  Council, 
according  to  the  Princess's  account,  treated  her  with 
great  harshness.  The  Queen  distrusting  the  Constable's 
integrity,  and  fearing  lest  something  untoward  might 
happen,  placed  Sir  Henry  Bedingfield,  a  man  in  whom 
she  had  confidence,  in  immediate  charge  of  her  sister. 
In  April  a  body  of  Commissioners  was  sent  to  the  Tower 
to  examine  the  Princess,  but  nothing  incriminating 
being  found,  either  in  her  own  statements,  or  in  those 
of  Sir  Thomas  Wyat,  or  of  Edmund  Tremaine,  who 
were  racked  to  disclose  them,  it  was  decided  to  remove 
her  from  the  Tower,  and  place  her  in  the  more  open 
confinement  of  Woodstock.  When,  accompanied  by 
Sir  Henry  Bedingfield  who  remained  in  charge,  her 
barge  pushed  of!  from  the  Tower  wharf  all  the  principal 
city    churches    burst   into    a    peal    of   rejoicing.     The 


w 


.omM'-'S:-- 


Mf^ 


SIR    THOMAS    WYAT 

LEADER    OK   THE   WYAT    REBELLION    AGAINST   QUEEN    MAR', 

EXECUTED   ON    TOWER    HILL,    APRIL    IITH,    1554 


THE  LIEUTENANT'S  LODGINGS         8i 

Princess  was  greatly  touched  with  this  glad  welcome, 
and   many   years    afterwards   in   grateful   remembrance 
presented  some  of  these  churches  with  silken  bell  ropes. 
Four  years  later,  now  a  Queen  about  to  be  crowned, 
Elizabeth  again  entered  the  Tower,  but  this  time  by 
road  and  on  horseback.    When  she  came  to  the  entrance 
by  way  of  the  Middle  Tower  she  dismounted  and  kneel- 
ing there  thanked  God   for  His   goodness  in  her  past 
deliverance,   and  prayed   for  His   divine  Grace  in  the 
coming  years.     It  would  be  gratifying  for  history  to  be 
able  to  record  that  Queen  Ehzabeth's  own  nightmare 
imprisonment    had    permanently    softened    her    heart 
towards  others  even  more  lightly  accused.     Unhappily 
the  annals  of  the  Tower  will  not  support  this  kindly  hope. 
Sir  Thomas   Wyat,  the    old   friend    and    admirer  of 
Queen  Anne  Boleyn,  was  twice  imprisoned  in  the  Tower ; 
on  the  first  occasion  in  connection  with  the  events  which 
led  to  the  death  of  that  unhappy  Queen.    It  was  indeed 
his  sad  privilege  to  see  the  final  act  in  that  drama  from 
the  window  of  his  prison,   and  on  the  scaffold  Anne 
Boleyn  gave  her   prayer-book  to  her  waiting  woman, 
Mistress  Lee,  with  the  whispered  instruction  that  it  was 
to  be  given  to  Sir  Thomas  Wyat.     This  prayer-book 
remained  in  the  possession  of  the  Wyat  family  for  many 
generations.    Sir  Thomas  was  shortly  after  released,  but 
his  old  attachment  for  Queen  Anne  Boleyn  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  cause  of  her  daughter  Ehzabeth.    Personal 
attachment  apart  he  was  a  strong  Protestant  and  favoured 
a  Protestant  succession,  and  being  a  man  of  action  rather 
than  intrigue  headed  an  armed  rebellion  against  Queen 
Mary.     He  with  his  force  encamped  in  Bermondsey  on 
the  river  bank  facing  the  Tower,  with  a  view  to  crossing 
and  attacking  it.    Here  he  was  bombarded  by  guns  from 
the  roofs  of  the  White  Tower,  St.  Thomas'  Tower,  and 
the  Iron  Gate  Tower. 

Seeing  that  a  crossing  was  here  difficult  he  moved  up- 
stream, and  there  crossing,  moved  on  London  from  the 
west.  But  his  force  was  tired,  wet,  hungry,  and  dis- 
couraged,  and  was   easily  defeated;  Sir  Thomas  Wyat 


82  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

himself  being  taken  prisoner  on  Ludgate  Hill.  There 
was  naturally  but  one  end  for  a  rebel  taken  in  arms,  but 
before  his  trial  Sir  Thomas  was  put  to  the  rack  in  the 
Tower,  in  the  endeavour  to  extort  confession  of  the 
complicity  of  the  Princess  Elizabeth  in  the  rising.  In 
this  his  questioners  failed.  During  the  intervals  of  being 
racked  Sir  Thomas  was  a  prisoner  in  the  Bell  Tower, 
very  possibly  with  the  intent  that  incriminating  corre- 
spondence might  pass  between  him  and  the  Princess, 
who  was  also  at  the  time  a  prisoner  there. 

The  trial  took  place  at  Westminster  on  March  15th, 
1554,  and  Sir  Thomas  was  executed  on  Tower  Hill  on 
Wednesday,  April  nth,  1554.  '^^^^  sentence  included 
being  drawn  and  quartered,  and  his  head  was  fixed  on  a 
pike  at  Hay  Hill,  Mayfair.  Some  of  his  friends,  how- 
ever, by  judicious  bribery,  procured  the  head  and  had  it 
decently  buried. 

Lady  Katherine  Grey,  sister  of  Lady  Jane  Grey,  was 
a  prisoner  in  the  Bell  Tower,  having  incurred  the  exceed- 
ing wrath  of  Queen  Elizabeth  for  having  secretly  married 
Lord  Hertford,  son  of  the  late  Duke  of  Somerset,  the 
Lord  Protector.  Lady  Katherine  was  a  possible  successor 
to  the  throne,  and  it  was  amongst  the  Queen's  fancies 
to  keep  such  persons  unmarried,  or  married  only  to  men 
of  Her  Majesty's  choice.  Great  therefore  was  her 
further  indignation  when  Lady  Katherine  added  to  her 
iniquities  by  giving  birth,  on  September  21st,  1561,  to  a 
son  in  the  Bell  Tower.  The  child  was  christened  in  the 
Chapel  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula,  and  named  Edward 
after  the  late  King.  During  the  ceremony  beneath  the 
unconscious  infant  lay  buried  the  mutilated  remains  of 
his  two  grandfathers,  the  Dukes  of  Somerset  and  Suffolk  ; 
his  aunt  Lady  Jane  Grey  ;  and  his  great-uncle  the  Duke  of 
Northumberland,  all  of  whom  had  perished  by  the  axe. 

Young  Lord  Hertford  was  captured  in  France,  and 
also  brought  to  the  Tower,  with  strict  injunctions  that 
he  was  to  have  no  access  to  his  wife,  or  even  word  with 
her.  Perhaps  he  had  better  have  been  left  in  France, 
for  to  the  speechless  indignation  of  Queen  Elizabeth  the 


THE  LIEUTENANT'S  LODGINGS  83 

incorrigible  Countess  gave  birth  to  yet  another  child  in 
the  Bell  Tower  on  February  loth,  1563.  This  child  was 
also  christened  in  St.  Peter's,  two  Warders  standing  as 
sponsors.  This  little  escapade  cost  her  husband  15,000 
marks,  which  was  tantamount  to  the  confiscation  of  his 
estates  ;  and  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower,  Sir  Edward 
Warner,  was  dismissed  from  his  post  and  imprisoned  in 
the  Tower. 

With  the  cold  eye  of  Queen  Elizabeth  upon  them, 
ecclesiastical  courts  obediently  proclaimed  the  marriage 
invalid,  and  the  children  ihegitimate.  The  Countess 
might  now  go  free  with  her  bastards,  and  they  were 
released  in  1563,  but  her  husband  was  still  kept  prisoner 
in  the  Tower.  After  living  for  four  years  on  the  charity 
of  her  friends  Lady  Katherine  Grey,  Countess  of  Hert- 
ford, was  gathered  to  her  fathers.  Two  years  later 
her  husband  was  released,  and  never  rested  till  he  had 
legally  procured  the  legitimacy  of  his  children. 

Lady  Arabella  Stuart,  a  cousin  of  James  I,  and  with 
him  of  equal  descent  from  Mary  Tudor,  daughter  of 
Henry  VII,  was  long  a  prisoner  and  spent  most  of  it  in 
the  Bell  Tower.  A  fuller  account  of  her  life,  imprison- 
ment, and  death  is  reserved  for  a  later  page.^ 

James  Duke  of  Monmouth,  who  was  committed  in 
1685,  was  one  of  the  most  famous  prisoners  in  the 
Bell  Tower;  his  story  is  more  fully  related  in  another 
chapter. 2 

Lady  Margaret  Douglas^  was  first  imprisoned  in  the 
Lieutenant's  Lodgings  in  the  Tower  July,  1531,  for 
contemplating  marriage  with  Lord  Thomas  Howard, 
youngest  brother  of  the  aged  Duke  of  Norfolk,  whose 
own  head  was  saved  by  the  timely  death  of  Henry  VIII. 
Lord  lliomas  Howard  died  in  the  Tower  six  years  later, 
when  Lady  Margaret  was  released.  She  again,  however, 
returned  to  lier  old  quarters  in  the  J  lieutenant's  Lodgings 
in  1566,  this  time  for  allowing  her  son  Henry  Stuart, 
Earl  of  Darnley,  to  marry  Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  Her 
husband  was  also  at  the  same  time  imprisoned  separately 

^  See  p   208.        ^  See  p.  l8i.        ^  Afterwards  Countess  of  Lennox. 


84  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

in  the  Tower.  To  them  whilst  prisoners  was  brought  the 
news  of  the  murder  of  their  son  the  Earl  of  Darnley. 
The  third  imprisonment  of  this  somewhat  ambitious 
lady  was  a  few  years  later,  when  she  again  returned  to 
the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings.  Her  offence  was  again  matri- 
monial, in  that  again  privily  and  without  the  Queen's 
consent  she  married  her  youngest  son  to  the  Lady 
Ehzabeth  Cavendish,  the  parents  eventually  of  Lady 
Arabella  Stuart. 

Lady  Margaret  was  after  some  time  released  and 
ordered  to  reside  at  her  country  house  at  Hackney. 
Here  she  died,  and  was  buried  in  Henry  VII  Chapel  in 
Westminster  Abbey.  In  the  room  occupied  by  her  in 
the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings  she  left  an  inscription  prob- 
ably carved  by  one  of  her  attendants.    It  reads  : 

"  Upon  the  twenty  dale  of  June  xx  in  the  Yere  of  our 

Lord  a  thousande  five  hundred  three  score  and  five,  the 

Right  Honorable  Countes  of  Lennox  Grace  commyted 

prysner  to  this  logynge  for  the  marege  of  her  sonne  my 

lord  Henry  Darnle  and  the  Qvene  of  Scotlande  here  is 

there  nams  that  do  wayte  upon  her  noble  grace  in  thys 

clase 

^  M.  Ehzabeth  Husey 

M.  Jhon  Baily 

M.  Elizabeth  Chambrlen 

M.  Robart  Portynger  ^ 

.     M.  Edward  C.  Veyne 

Anno  Domini  1566." 

One  of  the  best-known  escapes  from  the  Tower  took 
place  from  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings  in  1716,  and  was 
very  cleverly  managed  by  a  lady.  After  an  ineffectual 
Jacobite  rising  in  favour  of  "  James  HI,"  Lords  Derwent- 
water,  Kenmure,  and  Nithsdale  were  taken  prisoners  at 
the  battle  of  Preston,  and  sent  to  the  Tower  as  prisoners. 
All  three  lords  were  tried  at  Westminster  on  February 
19th,  1 716,  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged,  drawn,  and 
quartered. 


THE  LIEUTENANT'S   LODGINGS  85 

This  sentence  was  mitigated,  however,  in  favour  of 
execution  by  beheading  on  Tower  Hill.  The  date  fixed 
was  February  24th,  and  Lords  Derwentwater  and  Ken- 
mure  suffered  on  that  date,  but  the  night  before  Lord 
Nithsdale  made  his  escape,  through  the  courage  and 
resource  of  his  wife,  aided  by  two  women.  Lord  Nithsdale 
was  confined  in  a  small  upper  room  in  the  Lieutenant's 
Lodgings  next  to  the  Council  Chamber,  up  several  flights 
of  stairs  from  the  interior,  and  with  a  drop  of  forty  feet 
from  the  window  on  the  side  facing  the  river. 

As  the  poor  nobleman  was  to  die  next  day,  the  authori- 
ties were  somewhat  lenient  in  allowing  his  friends  and 
old  servants  to  come  and  say  farewell  to  him.  Thus 
Lady  Nithsdale  and  Miss  Hilton  first  went  in  ;  and  Miss 
Hilton  shedding  a  garment  departed.  Enter  Mrs.  Mills 
who  apparently  parted  with  her  hood  and  several  more 
articles  of  clothing,  and  then  in  her  turn  took  an  affec- 
tionate farewell.  A  few  minutes  later  Lord  Nithsdale, 
disguised  in  the  female  clothes  left  for  him,  with  a  wig  like 
that  of  Mrs.  Mills,  a  hood  well  drawn  over  his  face,  and 
bitterly  weeping  into  a  large  handkerchief  held  to  his 
face,  was  led  sorrowfully  forth  by  Lady  Nithsdale,  and 
handed  over  to  the  maid  whom  they  met  at  the  door. 
Lady  Nithsdale  then  returned  to  the  room  upstairs,  and 
walking  up  and  down,  carried  on  a  double  conversation 
with  herself,  even  imitating  the  rumble  of  her  husband's 
voice.  When  she  felt  sure  the  fugitive  was  clear  of  the 
fortress,  she  opened  the  door,  and  as  she  stood  close  to  it 
entered  into  further  parting  converse  with  the  imaginary 
person  within.  On  the  way  down  the  stairs  she  met  a 
servant  going  up  with  lights  for  his  lordship's  room,  but 
him  she  turned  back  saying  that  Lord  Nithsdale  was 
busy  with  his  prayers,  and  must  not  be  disturbeci. 

Directly  she  was  out  of  the  Tower,  Lady  Nithsdale 
drove  to  the  residence  of  her  devoted  friend  the  Duchess 
of  Montrose,  and  through  her  influence  succeeded  in 
getting  her  husband  engaged  as  a  servant  in  the  train 
of  the  Venetian  Ambassador,  who  was  about  to  leave 
London.    Thus  disguised  the  Earl  reached  the  Continent 


86  THE  TOWER   FROM  WITHIN 

in  safety,  and  eventually  travelled  to  Rome  where  he 
died  in  1749. 

Amongst  the  last  prisoners  in  the  Lieutenant's 
Lodgings,  and  the  last  to  be  executed  on  Tower  Hill, 
were  the  Scottish  lords  concerned  in  the  Stuart  rising 
of  1746.  There  were  many  others  implicated  in  this 
rebellion,  but  the  three  to  suffer  were  William  Boyd, 
Earl  of  Kilmarnock,  Arthur  Elphinstone,  Lord  Balmerino, 
and  Simon,  Lord  Eraser  of  Lovat.  This  rebellion  was 
the  final  effort  of  the  Stuarts,  and  was  considered  of 
some  importance.  Indeed,  so  serious  was  it  deemed  by 
George  II,  who  was  perhaps  not  the  bravest  of  the  brave, 
that  he  kept  his  private  yacht  moored  at  the  Tower  wharf 
for  several  weeks,  ready  to  fly  to  Hanover.  The  citizens 
of  London  too  were  greatly  perturbed,  and  fed  by  idle 
rumours,  were  in  hourly  dread  of  the  arrival  of  an  army 
of  bare-legged  Northerners  to  sack  their  quiet  homes ! 
Even  thus  late  in  the  centuries  the  Tower  of  London 
was  still  looked  upon  as  the  centre  and  emblem  of  the 
sovereignty  of  these  Isles,  and  many  an  anxious  citizen 
hurrying  to  his  warehouse  cast  a  glance  to  see  whether 
the  English  flag  still  flew,  and  the  English  red  coats  still 
mxanned  the  parapets. 

There  were  many  great  Scotsmen  engaged  in  this  last 
desperate  enterprise  in  favour  of  the  lost  dynasty  of  the 
Stuarts.  The  battle  of  Culloden  settled  the  matter 
finally,  and  there  came  into  the  Tower  and  other  English 
prisons  a  great  throng  of  prisoners.  Besides  those  men- 
tioned above  were  George  Earl  of  Cromarty,  the 
Marquis  of  Tullibardine,  the  Earl  of  Traquair,  Lord 
McLeod,  and  other  Scotch  and  north-country  gentlemen 
of  influence. 

Lord  Tullibardine  died  in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings 
before  he  was  tried,  and  "  by  his  Brother  the  Duke  of 
Athol's  request  he  was  decently  but  at  as  small  expence 
as  could  well  be,  interd  in  the  West  end  of  our  Chappie 
in  the  Tower. "^    Lord  Cromarty,  who  had  an  attractive 

^  Diary  of  Lieut.-General  Adam  Williamson,  Deputy-Lieutenant  of 
the  Tower.    Edited  by  F.  C.  Fox,  f.r.h.s. 


THE  LIEUTENANT'S  LODGINGS         87 

wife  with  persuasive  manners,  secured  a  pardon.  Lord 
McLeod,  a  boy  of  nineteen,  after  two  years'  imprison- 
ment was  released,  and  having  served  with  the  Swedish 
army  for  some  years,  came  back  and  raised  a  Highland 
regiment,  afterwards  numbered  the  73rd  Foot,  and  now 
the  2nd  Battalion  of  the  Black  Watch. 

Lords  Cromarty,  Kilmarnock,  and  Balmerino  were 
tried  together  by  their  peers  at  Westminster.  All  were 
found  guilty  and  sentenced.  Lord  Cromarty  was  as 
above  mentioned  reprieved ;  but  the  Tower  authorities 
received  orders  to  hand  over  Lords  Kilmarnock  and 
Balmerino  to  the  Sheriffs  of  London  for  execution  on 
Tower  Hill  on  the  morning  of  August  i8th,  1746.  The 
account  of  w^hat  followed  may  well  be  given  in  the 
Deputy-Lieutenant's  own  words  :^ 

"  The  Stage,  Rooms  of  the  house,-  and  the  stairs 
Leading  to  the  scaffold,  being  covered  with  black,  all 
prepared  at  the  Expence  of  the  Sheriffs  they  came  at  10 
a  clock  precisely  and  knockt  at  the  Outward  Gate,  which 
with  all  others  was  kept  close  shut,  and  demanded  the 
Prisoners.  I  had  appointed  the  Major  to  be  there  to 
attend  their  call  and  the  Lords  to  be  ready  to  go  at  the 
shortest  Notice,  and  went  to  them  to  wait  for  the 
Major's  summons  from  the  gate,  which  came  exactly  at 
the  hour  appointed.  We  immediately  set  out  from 
their  appartements  and  I  had  the  doors  Lockt  after  them 
and  the  Keys  given  to  Me,  that  if  any  Valluable  thing 
was  left  in  them  I  might  secure  it  as  My  Perquisite. 

"  When  we  came  into  the  Street  we  went  on  foot  in 
the  following  manner. 

"  First  went  their  four  Warders  two  and  two,  then  I 
followed  singley,  after  Me  followd  Lord  Kilmarnock  the 
Prisoner  with  the  Major,  then  followed  the  Chaplains 
and  two  friends,  then  Lord  Balmerino  attended  by  the 
Gentleman  Gaoler  after  him  two  friends  but  no  Chaplin, 
his  nojuring  Chaplin  having  taken  leave  of  him  the  night 

^  General  Williamson's  Diary. 

"  The  Transport  Office  close  to  the  scaffold,  afterwards  No.  14 
Trinity  Square,  now  demolished  and  replaced  by  other  buildings. 


88  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

before,  then  foUowd  an  Officer  and  fifteen  men,  after 
them  the  two  Herses,  with  the  Coffins  for  the  two  Lords, 
then  a  Sergent  with  fifteen  men  more,  all  with  their 
Bayonets  fixd ;  thus  we  marchd  to  the  Gate  which 
being  opened  we  deliverd  the  Lords  there  to  the  Sherrifs, 
who  conducted  them  in  the  same  order  on  foot  to  the 
house  of  the  Scaffold." 

The  day  was  bright  and  fine,  and  immense  crowds 
assembled  to  see  the  execution.  On  the  edge  of  the 
moat  facing  west  and  just  outside  the  Bulwark  Gate 
was  a  large  grand-stand  for  spectators,  part  of  it  in  two 
tiers.  Close  to  The  Tiger  Inn,  and  facing  north, 
was  another  great  stand  partly  in  two  tiers,  and  partly 
in  three,  with  canopies  ;  evidently  erected  for  dis- 
tinguished onlookers.  At  the  corner  of  Great  Tower 
Street  was  a  four-tiered  stand,  three  of  the  tiers  with 
head  cover.  Alongside  was  yet  another  stand,  raised  so 
as  to  look  over  the  roof  of  an  intervening  house.  At  the 
corner  of  what  is  now  By  ward  Street  were  two  more 
stands,  erected  on  the  roofs  of  houses.  On  the  roof  of 
the  Transport  Office  were  two  or  three  small  stands  for 
the  privileged  few.  All  the  Tower  walls  and  turrets 
from  which  a  view  could  be  held  were  filled  with  spec- 
tators, and  even  the  masts  of  ships  on  the  river  held 
curious  observers.  From  the  Bulwark  Gate  extended  a 
double  "  haye  "  of  soldiers,  horse  and  foot,  which  lined 
both  sides  of  the  road  followed  by  the  prisoners,  and 
also  formed  a  wide  circle  round  the  scaffold  to  keep  off 
the  crowd.  This  "  haye  "  consisted  of  a  double  rank  of 
infantry  and  behind  them  a  single  rank  of  cavalry,  all 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  and  knee  to  knee.  Outside  the 
soldiers  an  immense  crowd  of  people  estimated  by  some 
at  one  hundred  thousand  stood  around.  Every  window 
looking  even  distantly  on  the  scaffold  was  fully  occupied. 

The  procession  with  the  two  lords  in  the  centre 
moved  slowly  to  the  Transport  Office,  where  apparently 
there  was  a  long  delay,  the  execution  being  fixed  to  take 
place  at  noon.  The  two  lords  with  their  friends,  in  inner 
rooms,  had  talked  together,  and  prayed  at  intervals  for 


THE  LIEUTENANT'S  LODGINGS  89 

some  time,  before  Lord  Kilmarnock  was  called  forth. 
He  stepped  out  resolutely  and  mounted  the  scaffold 
steps,  but  at  first  seemed  dazed  with  the  number  of 
spectators,  and  was  heard  to  mutter  "  This  is  terrible." 
He  did  not  make  a  speech,  but  handed  a  long  written 
statement  to  the  Sheriff.  Then  taking  off  his  wig,  coat, 
and  waistcoat  very  composedly,  he  "  after  some  trouble 
put  on  a  napkin-cap  and  then  several  times  tried  the 
block,  the  executioner,  who  was  in  white  with  a  white 
apron,  out  of  tenderness  concealing  the  axe  behind 
himself.  At  last  the  Earl  knelt  down  with  visible  un- 
willingness to  depart,  and  after  five  minutes  dropped 
his  handkerchief,  the  signal,  and  his  head  was  cut  off  at 
once  and  received  in  a  scarlet  cloth  by  four  of  the 
undertaker's  men  kneeling,  who  wrapped  it  up  and  put 
it  into  the  coffin  with  the  body,  orders  having  been 
given  not  to  expose  the  heads  as  used  to  be  the  custom."^ 

Meanwhile  Lord  Balmerino  had  remained  in  the 
Transport  Office  conversing  with  his  friends,  and  twice 
partook  of  some  bread,  and  a  glass  of  wine.  When  the 
Sheriffs  returned  for  him  he  said,  "  I  suppose  Lord 
Kilmarnock  is  no  more,"  and  asked  how  the  executioner 
had  performed  his  duty.  He  then  cheerfully  took  leave 
of  the  company,  and  walking  out  with  undaunted  air, 
mounted  the  scaffold,  and  bowed  to  the  people  on  all 
sides.  He  approved  of  the  inscription  on  his  cofl[in,  and 
putting  on  his  glasses  read  to  the  Sheriffs  his  dying  state- 
ment, afterwards  wiping  the  glasses  and  returning  them 
to  his  pocket. 

"  Then  he  went  to  the  corner  of  the  scaffold  and  called 
very  loud  for  the  warder  and  gave  him  his  periwig,  which 
he  took  off  and  put  on  a  night-cap  of  Scotch  plaid,  and 
pulled  off  his  coat  and  waistcoat  and  lay  down  ;  but 
being  told  he  was  on  the  wrong  side  vaulted  round 
immediately  and  gave  the  sign  by  tossing  up  his  arm,  as 
if  he  were  giving  the  signal  for  battle.  He  received 
three  blows  but  the  first  certainly  took  away  all  sensa- 
tion.   He  was  not  a  quarter  of  an  hour  on  the  scaffold, 

^  Letter  from  Sir  Horace  Walpole  to  Sir  H.  Mann. 


90  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Lord  Kilmarnock  above  half  a  one.    Balmcrlno  certainly 
died  with  the  intrepidity  of  a  hero."^ 

The  bodies  of  the  two  lords  having,  with  their  heads, 
been  placed  in  the  cofEns  were  conveyed  back  to  the 
Tower,  and  buried  in  the  Chapel  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula 
at  the  west  end.-  The  Earl  of  Kilmarnock  was  forty- 
two  years  old,  and  Lord  Balmerino  fifty-eight,  but 
looked  older. 

After  the  battle  of  Culloden,  Lord  Lovat,  a  man  of 
eighty  years  of  age,  and  one  of  the  "  rebel  lords," 
escaped  to  Cawdor  Castle,  thence  to  a  refuge  on  the 
Lake  of  Tvluilly,  and  thence  to  an  island  in  the  Lake  of 
Morar,  hoping  to  make  his  way  eventually  to  France. 
But  he  was  captured  by  a  party  of  sailors  from  H.M.S. 
Furnace  and  brought  to  London  for  trial,  arriving  at  the 
Tower  in  November  or  December,  1746.  His  trial  did 
not  take  place  till  March  of  the  following  year,  when 
he  was  found  guilty  by  his  peers,  and  sentenced  to 
death. 

Lord  Lovat,  though  old,  was  of  quick  wit  and  ready  in 
retort.  The  Major  of  the  Tower  was  visiting  him  a  day 
or  two  before  his  execution  and  asked  him  how  he  faired  : 
"  Why,  I  am  doing  very  well,"  he  rephed,  "  for  I  am  pre- 
paring myself.  Sir,  for  a  place  where  hardly  any  Majors 
and  very  few  Lieutenant-Generals  go."^  When  the 
Lieutenant  came  to  see  him  on  the  day  before  his 
execution  he  rose  to  receive  him.  The  Lieutenant 
politely  deprecated  that  his  lordship  in  his  infirmity 
should  trouble  to  rise.  To  which  the  old  nobleman 
replied,  "  I  hope  you  would  not  have  me  be  unmannerly 
the  last  day  of  my  hfe."  The  execution  was  to  take 
place  on  April  9th,  1747,  "  the  head  of  the  said  Simon 
Lord  Lovat  then  and  there  forthwith  upon  the  said 
scaffold  at  Tower  Hill  aforesaid  to  cause  to  be  cut 
and  stricken  off  and  clearly  severed  from  his  body."* 

As  in  the  case  of  Lords  Kilmarnock  and  Balmerino  he 
was  escorted  to  the  Bulwark  Gate  and  there  handed  over 

>  Sir  Horace  Walpolc  to  Sir  H.  Mann.  »  See  p.  245. 

3  Howell's  State  Trials.        «  State  Papers,  Domestic,  April,  1747. 


THE   LIEUTENANT'S   LODGINGS  91 

to  the  Sheriffs  of  London,  but  being  old  and  infirm,  he 
travelled  in  a  coach  to  the  Transport  Office.  There  he 
sat  in  a  chair  and  conversed  with  his  friends,  and  being 
helped  by  a  Warder  knelt  and  prayed.  He  handed  a  state- 
ment to  the  Sheriff",  and  was  then  assisted  out  and  up 
the  steps  of  the  scaffold.  Arrived  there  he  presented 
ten  guineas  to  the  executioner,  and  felt  the  edge  of  the 
axe,  and  said  it  would  do  well.  Being  too  infirm  to  stand 
long,  a  chair  was  again  provided  for  him.  From  tliis  he 
rose  to  look  at  the  inscription  on  his  coffin  and  remarked, 
"  Dulce  et  decorum  est  pro  patria  mori."  Then  taking 
leave  of  his  friends  he  handed  his  hat,  wig,  and  clotlies 
to  Mr.  William  Eraser,  ordered  his  cap  to  be  put  on,  and 
unloosing  his  neck-cloth  and  collar,  kneeled  down  at  the 
block.  One  blow  severed  his  neck,  and  the  head  together 
with  the  body  were  placed  in  the  waiting  cofiin,  and 
eventually  buried  beside  Lord  Kilmarnock,  and  Lord 
Balmerino,  in  St.  Peter's  Chapel. 

Before,  however.  Lord  Lovat's  remains  came  to  rest 
they  had  some  curious  adventures.  He  had  left  in- 
structions to  his  relatives  that  he  was  to  be  buried  in  the 
family  vault  at  Kirkhill  in  Scotland,  and  apparently  both 
they  and  the  Tower  authorities  were  under  the  im- 
pression that  this  had  been  sanctioned.  The  body  was 
first  taken  to  St.  Peter's,  and  kept  there  till  the  crowd 
round  the  scaff'old  had  dispersed;  for  Lord  Lovat  was 
not  popular.  It  was  then  handed  over  to  Mr.  Stevenson 
the  undertaker  for  disposal,  in  accordance  with  the 
wishes  of  the  family.  Mr.  Stevenson,  however,  who, 
like  most  people  in  those  days,  looked  to  perquisites  to 
enhance  his  income,  took  the  coffin  to  his  house  in  the 
Strand,  opposite  the  Exeter  Exchange,  and  there 
exhibited  the  body  to  the  curious  for  a  money  payment. 
This  scandal  coming  to  the  ears  of  the  Deputy-Governor 
of  the  Tower,  he  at  once  reported  to  the  Duke  of 
Newcastle  "  the  great  indignity  as  well  as  the  indecencie 
of  it — a  thing  never  before  heard  of."  Meanwhile 
William  Eraser,  who  was  a  relative,  had  arranged  with  the 
master  of  a  ship  sailing  the  next  week,  for  the  transport 


92  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

of  the  body  by  sea  to  Scotland.  But  during  the  delay, 
and  in  consequence  of  the  pubhc  scandal,  the  Cabinet 
decided  that  Lord  Lovat  should  be  buried  in  the  Tower, 
and  issued  orders  to  that  effect.  The  block  used  at  the 
execution  of  Lord  Lovat,  as  well  as  the  axe,  are  still 
preserved  at  the  Tower,  and  two  deep  incisions  made  by 
the  axe  on  the  hard  wood  are  still  visible. 

Thus  hes  in  the  old  Chapel  in  the  Tower  the  last  of 
the  long  procession  of  those  who  century  after  century, 
noble  and  brave,  criminals  and  martyrs,  have  laid  their 
heads  on  the  historic  block  on  Tower  Hill.  The  first 
person  who  suffered  on  Tower  Hill,  "  the  more  honor- 
able death  of  the  ax,"  was  Sir  Simon  de  Burley,  k.g.,i 
in  1388,  and  the  last  was  Simon  Eraser,  Lord  Lovat, 
in  1747.    Simons  both. 

Thus  it  may  be  seen  that  not  only  in  stones  and 
mortar,  but  in  blood  and  anguish,  the  Lieutenant's 
Lodgings  and  the  Bell  Tower  rank  high  in  the  absorbing 
history  of  the  Tower  of  London.  If  sorrow  and  suffer- 
ing could  leave  their  stain,  then  indeed  would  these 
walls  be  deeply  dyed  ;  but  happily  no  traces  of  anguish' 
or  sorrow  remain  save  a  few  sad  inscriptions.  Swept  and 
garnished,  and  no  longer  a  prison,  or  step  to  the  scaffold, 
changed  in  name  and  status,  the  King's  House  is  now  the 
Tudor  residence  of  the  Major  and  Resident  Governor 
of  the  Tower  of  London. 

1  Tutor  of  Richard  IT. 


^ 


THE    VEOMAN    (lAOI.RR 
WITH    THE    PKOCESSIONAI.   AXE 
STANDING    OUTSIDE   THE   YEOMAN    CAOI.ER's   QUARTERS    WHEKR 
LADY    JANE    GREY    WAS    IMPRISONED,    AND    WHENCE     SHE     SAW 
HER    husband's     BODY     CARRIED    FROM    EXECUTION    TO    BURIAL 


VI  [ 
THE  YEOMEN   WARDERS 

Their  ancient  origin — Tlic  Keepers  of  the  Gate — Incorporated 
with  the  Yeomen  of  the  Guard — Kept  the  door  at  King 
George's  Coronation — On  the  spot  where  the  Conqueror  was 
crowned— Henry  Earl  of  Richmond — The  warder's  petition 
to  the  Duke  of  Somerset — All  pensioned  sergeants  of  the 
Army — The  Chief  Warder — The  Ceremony  of  the  Keys — 
Extracts  from  the  Warder's  Order  Book — John  of  London — 
A  varlet  at  ij^  a  day — The  origin  of  the  ceremony — A 
prisoner's  uppermost  garment  as  perquisite — The  Yeoman 
Gaoler — Carries  the  axe — The  sign  of  the  axe — The  Warder's 
toast — Ancient  fees  to  become  a  Warder — The  days  of  pur- 
chase— The  Duke  of  Wellington's  reform — Extracts  from 
orders — An  American  ofhcer — His  joyful  imprisonment — A 
previous  American  prisoner  in  1683 — The  historic  role  of  the 
Yeomen  Warders 

jA  LMOST  as  famous  as  the  Tower  itself,  and 
/%  perhaps  as  ancient,  are  the  Yeomen  Warders  ; 
r — %  and  their  renown  and  old-world  uniform  are 
-^  A^  -vvell  in  keeping  with  their  majestic  surround- 
ings. Centuries  before  the  Yeomen  of  the  Guard,  of 
which  they  now  form  part,  came  into  being,  there  was 
in  the  Tower  a  permanent  body  of  royal  retainers,  who 
performed  the  duties  of  warders  over  prisoners,  gate 
keepers,  and  armed  defenders  of  the  fortress.  From 
these  keepers  of  the  gate,  or  warders,  the  Yeom^en 
Warders  of  to-day  claim  direct  and  unbroken  descent  ; 
their  "  fellowship  "  being  the  oldest  of  any  known 
association  of  men  carrying  on  the  same  duties  from 
century  to  century  up  to  the  present  day.  It  was  the 
misfortune  of  an  iUiterate  age  that  none  of  the  earliest 
records,  or  pipe  rolls,  of  the  warders  have  survived,  so 
that  the  earhest  warder  who  can  be  traced  by  name  is 
"  John  of  London  "  in  the  fourteenth  century. 

93 


94  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

It  was  not  till  nearly  four  centuries  after  the  Tower 
Warders  had  come  into  existence  that  they  were  formally 
incorporated  with  the  then  newly  raised  Yeomen  of  the 
Guard,  their  previous  existence  being  emphasized  by 
according  to  them  the  seniority  in  the  new  corps. 

The  continuity  of  this  office  of  warders  and  keepers 
of  the  gate  was  symbolized  as  recently  as  at  the  corona- 
tion of  George  V.  There,  no  soldiers,  but  Yeom^en 
Warders  of  the  Tower,  held  the  entrance  to  Westminster 
Abbey  during  the  ceremony.  In  their  picturesque  and 
ancient  uniform  they  stood  guard  on  the  actual  spot 
where  took  place  at  the  coronation  of  William  the 
Conqueror  a  curious  conflict  that  might  have  ended  in 
much  bloodslicd.  As  is  recorded  in  history  when  those 
assembled  -within  the  minster  were  asked  whether  they 
would  have  the  Norman  Duke  as  King,  they  shouted 
with  a  loud  voice  "  Yea,"  "  Yea."  The  Norman 
soldiers  on  guard  at  the  door,  and  the  crowd  outside, 
both  heard  the  shout.  The  soldiers  thought  some  harm 
was  being  done  to  their  Duke,  the  populace  pressed 
closer  in  curiosity.  The  soldiers  took  this  to  be  a  com- 
bined attack  from  within  and  from  without,  and 
promptly  charged  the  crowd.  A  free  fight  ensued, 
nobody  quite  knowing  what  it  was  all  about,  and  in  the 
course  of  it  some  neighbouring  houses  were  set  on  fire, 
and  a  few  heads  broken. 

The  order  incorporating  the  Tower  Warders  with  the 
Yeomen  of  the  Guard  reads  thus  : 

"  On  the  22nd  day  of  August,  1485,  Henry  Earl  of 
Richmond  was  by  public  acclamation  saluted  on  the 
battlefield  of  Bosworth,  King  over  England,^  and  was 
crowned  on  the  30th  October  following.  In  the  first 
year  of  his  reign  the  Yeomen  of  the  Guard  w^as  first 
ordered  of  which  the  Yeomen  waiters  or  warders  of  the 
Tower  hath  the  seniority." - 

When  the  Tower  v/as  a  royal  palace  and  the  king 
frequently  lived  there  the  Yeomen  Warders  were  in 
constant  evidence  as  his  bodyguard,  but  as  these  visits  and 

^  Henry  VII.         -  Extract  from  the  Tower  Warders'  Order  Book. 


THE  YEOMEN  WARDERS  95 

residences  became  less  frequent  there  was  some  danger  of 
the  Yeomen  Warders  losing  their  ancient  privileges  and 
rights.  When  therefore  the  Duke  of  Somerset,  the  Lord 
Protector,  was  first  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower  in  the  reign 
of  Edward  VI,  the  Warders  made  a  petition  to  him  asking 
that  their  ancient  dress  and  privileges  might  be  restored 
to  them.  This  was  in  1551.  The  Duke  of  Somerset 
promised  to  see  to  the  matter  on  his  liberation,  and  was 
as  good  as  his  word.  "  And  caused  the  warders  of  the 
Tower  to  be  sworn  extraordinary  of  the  guarde,  and  to 
wear  the  same  livery  they  do,  which  had  the  beginning 
by  this  meanes."^  The  Yeomen  Warders  are  erroneously 
sometimes  called  "  Beefeaters  "  ;  this  is  a  name  they  do 
not  acknowledge,  having  no  connection,  except  as  regards 
uniform,  with  the  Yeomen  who  in  times  past  served  the 
"  buffet  "  at  St.  James'  Palace,  from  whence  the  word 
was  possibly  derived. 

The  Yeomen  Warders  of  the  Tower  are  selected  from 
sergeants  of  the  Army  of  long  and  distinguished  service, 
and  rank  as  Sergeants-Major.  They  are  taken  impartially 
from  every  branch  of  the  service  and  appointed  by  the 
Constable  of  the  Tower.  A  certain  number  hve  in  the 
numerous  smaller  Towers  within  the  fortress,  and  some 
for  whom  accommodation  is  wanting,  outside. 

The  chief  dignitary  amongst  the  Warders  is  the  Chief 
Warder,^  also  called  at  one  period  the  Gentleman  Porter, 
but  more  generally  the  Yeoman  Porter,  who  is  in  the 
relative  position  of  a  Regimental  Sergeant-Major  to  a 
Squadron  or  Company  Sergeant-Major.  It  is  one  of  the 
picturesque  duties  of  the  Chief  Warder  nightly  to  lock 
the  gates  of  the  fortress,  and  to  deliver  the  keys  to  the 
Constable,  or  his  representative.  Few  who  do  not  live 
in  the  Tower  have  seen  this  ancient  and  interesting 
ceremony. 

At  the  hour  lixed  for  the  locking  of  the  gates  the  Chief 

1  Communicated  (to  ihc  Conslablc  ?)  hy  I'ho.  Asdc,  Esq.,  British 
Museum  MS. 

2  It  is  not  clear  why  the  ancient  title  was  in  recent  years  chatigjd 
from  Yeoman  Porter,  which  had  been  in  use  for  five  hundred  years. 


96  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Warder  with  the  keys  approaches  the  main  guard  of 
the  regiment  in  garrison  and  demands  an  escort.  The 
Officer  of  the  Guard  places  his  guard  under  arms,  and 
details  an  escort  of  one  N.C.O.  and  four  men,  who  then 
march  off  with  fixed  bayonets,  and  carrying  a  lantern, 
closely  guarding  the  Chief  Warder  and  the  keys.  Here 
comes  in  a  curious  point  in  military  etiquette.  In 
ordinary  times  the  Chief  Warder  would  salute  an  officer, 
but  when  he  carries  the  king's  keys  an  officer  salutes 
him,  or  rather  the  king's  keys,  and  a  civilian  takes  off  his 
hat.  The  Spur  guard  turns  out  and  presents  arms  to  the 
keys  as  they  pass  out.  The  Chief  Warder  and  his  escort 
march  thus  to  the  outer  barrier,  near  which  once  stood 
the  Bulwark  Gate,  being  joined  en  route  by  a  second 
Warder  who  assists  in  shutting  the  gates. 

During  the  process  of  closing  and  locking  the  gates  the 
escort  turns  inwards  and  is  ordered  to  "  present  arm-S." 
The  procession  then  reforms,  and  marches  back  to  the 
Middle  Tower,  where  the  Spur  guard  again  presents  arms. 
The  escort,  turned  inwards  as  before,  comes  to  the 
"present,"  whilst  the  gate  is  locked.  Then  the  keys 
and  escort  march  back  across  the  bridge  over  the  moat, 
which  in  ancient  days  was  a  drawbridge,  to  the  Byward 
Tower,  where  the  same  ceremony  is  repeated.  Here 
the  Warder  who  was  assisting  leaves  the  procession,  and 
remains  on  guard  all  night  at  the  Gate.  The  procession 
then  passes  along  between  the  "  King's  House  "  and 
St.  Thomas'  Tower,  and  when  opposite  the  Traitor's 
Gate  turns  in  under  the  deep  and  frowning  arch  beneath 
the  Bloody  Tower. 

Directly  the  party  is  observed  the  sentry  on  the  main 
guard  lowers  his  bayonet  to  the  charge,  and  challenges : 

"  Halt,  who  comes  there  ?  " 

The  Chief  Warder  replies  stentorially,  "  The  keys." 

The  sentry  then  calls,  "  Whose  keys  ?  " 

"  King  George's  keys,"  replies  the  Chief  Warder. 

"  Pass,  King  George's  keys.  All's  well  "  ;  and  the 
sentry  lifts  his  bayonet  point. 

Thus  permitted  the  Chief  Warder,  with  the  keys,  and 


THE  YEOMEN  WARDERS  97 

his  escort,  advances,  and  when  opposite  the  main  guard 
halts  facing  the  guard,  whereupon  both  guard  and  escort 
"  present  arms."  The  Chief  Warder  then  steps  to  his 
front,  takes  off  his  hat,  and  in  a  deep  and  reverent  voice 
pronounces  the  words  : 

"  God  preserve  King  George  !  " 

And  the  officer  and  men  of  the  guard,  and  escort, 
together  answer  "  Amen." 

The  keys  are  then  handed  over  to  the  Constable,  or 
his  representative,  who  is  usually  the  Major  of  the 
Tower  and  Resident  Governor. 

An  interesting  extract  from  the  Warder's  Order  Book 
gives  the  origin  of  this  quaint  and  interesting  ceremony  : 

"  In  King  Edward  Ill's  day^  there  was  one  John  of 
London  an  handy  craftsman  and  an  armourer,  that  had 
the  custody  of  the  Gates,  Portculhses,  and  Drawbridges 
of  the  Tower,  with  the  wages  of  iiij'^  per  diem  and  ij** 
for  a  varlet  to  carry  his  keys  after  him,  and  also  ij'^  a  day 
during  the  time  that  he  should  be  employed  in  scouring 
the  harness  in  the  Armoury  within  the  Tower,  and  had 
the  same  clothes  and  a  Rugg  Gown  and  a  halbert  allowed 
him  as  the  rest  of  the  Yeomen  had.  He  had  to  see  the 
main  gates  of  the  Tower  daily  opened  and  locked  at  the 
usual  hours,  and  to  shake  the  bars  and  search  the  locks  at 
the  shutting  in  of  the  same,  and  then  in  his  own  person  to 
bring  up  the  keys  with  the  rest  of  the  Warders  who  waited 
at  the  gates,  and  deliver  them  to  the  Lieutenant.  .  .  ." 

Amongst  the  Yeoman  Porter's  perquisites  we  find  it 
laid  down  in  1555  that  "  the  Porter  shall  have  of  every 
prisoner  condemned  by  the  King  and  Queen's  Majesty 
to  the  said  Tower  for  treason,  his  uppermost  garment, 
or  he  agree  with  him  for  it." 

Next  in  dignity  to  the  Chief  Warder  comes  the 
Yeoman  Gaoler,  at  one  period  called  the  Gentleman 
Gaoler,  whose  duty  it  is  to  carry  the  axe.  In  the  days 
when  the  capital  punishment  on  the  higher  classes  of 
prisoners    was    by    beheading,    "  the    more    honorable 

1    A.D.   1327-77. 


98  TtlE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

meanes  "  as  it  was  called,  the  Yeoman  Gaoler  marched 
in  front  of  the  prisoner,  on  his  way  to  trial,  holding  the 
axe  erect  with  the  edge  turned  away  from  the  prisoner. 
If  the  prisoner  was  convicted  and  sentenced  to  death 
the  Yeoman  Gaoler  on  the  return  journey  carried  the 
axe  again  erect  but  with  the  edge  turned  tow^ards  the 
doomed  man.  If,  however,  the  prisoner  had  been  found 
not  guilty,  or  had  not  been  sentenced  to  death,  the 
Yeoman  Gaoler  carried  the  axe,  as  on  arrival,  with  the 
edge  turned  away  from  the  prisoner.  By  this  sign  the 
populace  learnt  which  way  the  verdict  had  gone.  This 
axe,  which  is  of  huge  size  and  of  considerable  antiquity, 
is  kept  in  the  "  King's  House  "  at  the  Tower.  Death 
by  beheading  having  been  abolished  this  axe  is  no  longer 
used  before  or  after  the  trial  of  prisoners,  the  last 
time  it  was  so  used  being  in  1747.  But  the  Yeoman 
Gaoler  with  his  axe  still  forms  one  of  the  most  interesting 
features  in  State  processions.  This  axe  must  not  be 
confounded  with  the  implement  actually  used  for 
execution ;  the  latter  is  a  much  smaller  weapon  and 
may  be  seen  with  the  block  in  the  White  Tower.  The 
Yeoman  Gaoler's  axe  is  purely  emblematical. 

There  are  in  all  forty  Yeomen  Warders  ;  they  are 
sworn  in  as  special  constables,  and  their  duty  it  is  to 
patrol  the  Tower  precincts,  to  take  duty  at  the  gates, 
and  also  at  various  parts  of  the  Tower.  They  are  well 
learned  in  the  history  of  the  Tower,  and  readily  assist 
visitors  who  are  seeing  the  sights.  The  position  of 
Yeoman  Warder  at  the  Tower  is  one  of  great  dignity 
and  honour,  and  is  eagerly  sought  after  by  soldiers 
whose  services  are  sufficiently  distinguished  to  procure 
them  a  chance  of  selection. 

At  convivial  meetings  of  the  Yeomen  Warders  it  was 
customary,  and  was  a  standing  toast  when  drinking  to 
each  other  to  say,  "  Warder  So-and-so,  your  health  and 
may  you  never  die  a  W^arder." 

The  origin  of  this  curious  toast  lay  in  the  fact  that  in 
ancient  days  each  Warder  had  paid  in  fees  a  sum  of  about 
^300  to  his  predecessor  for  his  place  ;   and  counted  on 


THE  YEOMEN  WARDERS 


99 


selling  it  again  to  a  successor  at  the  same  price.  If,  how- 
ever, he  died  a  Warder  his  money  was  lost,  as  the  incoming 
Warder's  fees  were  the  perquisite  of  the  Constable. 

These  fees  were  all  laid  down,  and  it  may  be  of  interest 
to  mention  one  of  the  later  occasions  on  which  a  Con- 
stable of  the  Tower  has  left  them  on  record. 

1  The  Earl  of  Northampton,  Constable  of  the  Tower, 
ordered  this  day  the  17'^  February,  171 3,  that  the 
following  shall  be  the  fees  paid  by  any  person  on  suc- 
ceeding a  Yeoman  Warder  who  surrenders  his  office  : 

£     s.    d. 
To  the  Warder  who  surrenders        .    262   10 
Constable  •  •  .21 

Secretary  ...       6 

Gentleman  Porter 
Yeomen  Warders 
Gentleman  Gaoler 
Clerk  of  the  Cheque 
Stamp  for  the  Warrant 
Parchment  . 
The  Governor's  servant 

.£309  H    ^ 

And  that  the  following  shall  be  the  Fee  paid  by  any 
person  on  succeeding  a  Yeoman  Warder  who  may  die  : 


o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
6 
o 


To  the  Constable 
Secretary 
Gentleman  Porter 
Yeomen  Warders 
Gentleman  Gaoler 
Clerk  of  Cheque 

Stamp  of  Warrant 

Parchment    . 

Governor's  servant 


L 
262 

6 

5 

5 

5 
2 

o 
o 


10 
6 

5 

5 
o 

2 

o 

I 

5 


d. 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
6 
o 


^288  14    6 


J  Extract  from  the  Yeoman  Warder's  Order  Book. 


100  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

From  the  comparison  of  which  two  Hsts  may  be 
gathered  the  inner  meaning  of  the  Warder's  toast 
"  May  you  never  die  a  Warder."  The  Constable  pre- 
sumably drank  the  opposite  toast. 

Those  were  the  days  of  "  purchase,"  exactly  in  the  same 
way  as  officers  in  the  army  purchased  their  commissions, 
and  were  able  to  purchase  each  further  step  in  promotion. 
A  W^ardership  was  the  Warder's  purchased  property,  and 
it  was  open  to  him  to  sell  it  to  anyone  passed  fit  by 
the  Constable  to  succeed  him.  We  find  also  instances 
of  a  W^ardership  instead  of  being  sold  becoming  almost 
hereditary,  a  father  relinquishing  his  appointment  in 
favour  of  his  son.  At  various  periods  a  physical  standard 
was  exacted,  and  at  one  time  only  those  of  exceptional 
physique,  as  is  required  for  the  Guards,  were  eligible, 
but  there  were  at  that  time  no  obligations  as  regards 
having  first  served  in  the  Army.  It  was  only  when  the 
first  Duke  of  Wellington  was  Constable  of  the  Tower 
that  an  order  was  brought  in  closing  the  Warderships  to 
aU  but  old  soldiers.  The  Duke's  order  in  1826  reads, 
"  No  person  should  be  admitted  to  be  a  Warder  of  the 
Tower  of  London  but  deserving,  gallant,  and  meritorious 
sergeants  from  the  Army."  The  physical  standard  was 
also  removed,  on  the  very  sensible  grounds,  that  a  small 
soldier  might  have  performed  as  gaUant  or  meritorious 
service  as  a  grenadier. 

The  Warders'  Order  Book  has  many  quaint  entries, 
and  perhaps  some  of  them  may  be  read  with  interest  : 

"  Orders  agreed  and  subscribed  to  y«  25th  Oct.  1693 
by  all  or  the  maj'"  parte  of  y«  fellowPP^  of  y^  Yeomen 
Warders  of  the  Tower  of  London  and  by  and  with  y« 
consent  and  commands  of  my  Lord  Lucas  our  Chief 
Governor  and  Captain  to  be  observed  and  kept  for  the 
better  regulating  of  y^  said  fellowshippe  for  the  future 
and  to  the  restitution  and  consurvacion  of  Unity, 
Equity,  Love,  Order  and  Concord  in  the  said  fellow- 
shippe and  are  as  followith  : — It  is  agreed  and  ordered 
that  no  person  nor  persons  that  is  or  shall  hereafter  be 


THE  YEOMEN  WARDERS  loi 

admitted  into  y*  fellowshippe  of  the  Yeomen  Warders 
of  the  said  Tower  of  London  nor  any  fellowe  or  fellowes 
that  shall  officiate  for  him  or  them  soe  admitted  shall 
receive  no  divident  of  money  nor  any  part  thereof  on 
his  or  theire  days  wait  or  night  watch  or  any  Box  money 
Collected  at  Xmas  unless  he  or  they  herein  concerned 
doe  wash  the  Stauffe^  and  make  his  dinner  for  all  and 
every  one  of  our  fellowshippe  to  be  invited,  or  else 
depose  and  pay  in  money  and  good  money  to  the 
Stewards  then  in  being  the  full  and  entire  value  or 
sume  of  money  equivalent  to  the  cost  and  charges  of  his 
or  their  dinner  which  is  three  pounds  for  y^  dinner  and 
twenty  shillings  y^  Stauffe  which  was  a  very  ancient 
custom  as  appears  by  this  book." 

In  1 71 3  "  when  a  Warder  began  his  duty  for  the  first 
time  he  paid  what  was  called  his  dinner  money  of  ten 
shillings,  consisting  of  Bread,  Cheese,  and  Beer  to  the 
days  wait."  This  practice  continued  until  the  year 
1870,  when  the  Warders  abolished  it  by  general  consent. 

In  1723.  "No  beggars  or  shabby  rascals  to  be  admitted 
into  the  Gates  and  fellows  like  such  must  tell  the  persons' 
names  to  the  Warders  that  they  would  speak  with,  before 
they  have  entrance." 

In  1724.  "Ordered  by  the  Governor  that  no  woman 
be  suffered  to  lie  in  the  barracks  without  leave  nor  no 
woman  that  be  big  bellied  to  enter  in  at  the  gate." 

In  1752.  "The  Warder  at  the  Byward  Gate  will  take 
care  that  the  way  leading  to  the  drawbridge  is  kept  clear 
according  to  orders  and  that  the  Grenadiers  posted  there 
nor  no  one  else  do  not^  *  *  *  *  there  or  anywhere  near 
his  post." 

In  1725.  "The  Governor  orders  that  every  sentinel 
keep  peace  and  quietness  upon  his  post  especially  in  the 
night-time,   and   that   every  soldier   found  roaring   and 

^  This  is  possibly  the  old  twisted  staff  kept  in  the  Warder's  Hall. 
It  was  used  in  ancient  days  by  the  Warder  on  duty  who  was  sent  on  to 
the  Wharf  to  demand  the  Constable's  dues  from  passing  ships.  He 
produced  it  as  his  authority  for  the  demands  made. 

'^  A  terra  now  by  common  consent  restricted  to  the  Bible, 


102  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

making  a  noise  when  on  sentry  will  be  sent  a  prisoner 
to  the  Main  Guard." 

There  are  many  old  Warder's  stories  which  have  been 
handed  down  from  mouth  to  mouth,  but  as  many  of 
these  arc  apocryphal  and  others  based  on  slender  evidence 
it  has  been  thought  better  at  the  request  of  the  Warders 
themselves  to  omit  these.  Those  who  have  any  further 
curiosity  may  consult  a  friendly  Warder  when  they  visit 
the  Tower  of  London,  and  doubtless  he  will  oblige  them 
with  any  stories  that  have  come  to  his  knowledge. 

It  is,  however,  permissible  to  give  a  modern  story  : 

Soon  after  the  Americans  joined  the  Allies  in  the 
Great  War  a  party  of  some  fifty  non-commissioned 
officers,  with  three  or  four  commissioned  officers  were 
quartered  at  the  Tower  of  London  for  a  week  or  more, 
on  their  way  to  France.  The  rules  regarding  entry  into 
the  Tower  are  at  all  times  strict,  specially  so  at  night- 
time, and  more  especially  in  time  of  war.  It  so  happened 
that  one  night  an  American  officer  of  this  party,  probably 
unaware  of  these  rules  and  regulations,  arrived  after  the 
gates  had  been  locked,  and  asked  for  admission  to  his 
quarters.  The  sentry  on  the  Gate,  in  accordance  with 
his  orders,  called  the  Yeoman  Warder  on  night  duty,  to 
interview  the  American  officer  and  explain  the  situation. 

"  Say,  Warder,  I  want  to  get  through  and  to  bed  and 
the  sentry  says  I  can't  anyhow." 

"  No,  sir,  I  am  afraid  you  can't,"  replied  the  Yeoman 
Warder.  "  No  one  is  allowed  through  after  the  Gate  is 
shut." 

"  But  I'm  an  American  officer  and  quartered  here 
time  being  and  ain't  going  to  steal  the  Crown  Jewels  or 
anything,  only  just  go  to  bed  like  a  good  boy." 

"  Very  sorry  indeed,  sir,  I  can't  let  you  in.  If  you 
was  King  of  England^  I  couldn't  let  you  in." 

"  Wal,  I  ain't  King  of  England.  But  say,  sonny,  what'd 
the  King  of  England  do  if  he  was  shut  off  his  bed  Hke 
this  ?  " 

1  This  was  poetic  licence.  The  King  of  England  can  enter  at  any 
hour. 


THE  YEOMEN  WARDERS  103 

"  Well,  sir,  I  don't  know  what  the  King  of  England 
would  do,  but  what  the  officers  does  when  locked  out  is 
either  to  sleep  in  their  cabs,  or  in  the  guard  room,  till  the 
gates  are  opened  in  the  morning." 

"  Wal,  I  ain't  going  to  tick  up  half  dollars  all  night  in 
a  taxi-cab,  so  I'll  sleep  in  the  guard  room." 

And  so  he  did. 

Next  morning  at  breakfast  he  burst  into  the  Officers' 
Mess,  where  he  was  an  Honorary  Member,  simply 
beaming. 

"  My  !  It  was  just  Bully  !  I  wouldn't  have  missed  it 
for  worlds.  Locked  up  hke  Lady  Jane  Grey  and  all  that 
lot  in  the  old  Tower  of  London  !  Snakes,  it  was  fine,  the 
greatest  adventure  of  my  hfe.  There's  hundreds  of  folks 
over  in  the  States  would  give  fifty  dollars  for  that  ex- 
perience." 

Many  a  subaltern  of  the  Guards  has  had  the  same 
adventure,  and  possibly  did  not  rehsh  it  with  the  same 
fervour  as  his  American  cousin.  It  may  perhaps  be  of 
interest  to  this  American  officer  to  learn  that  the  last 
previous  American  prisoner  at  the  Tower,  of  whom 
there  is  a  record,  was  "  Edward  Grove,  late  of  Hampton, 
New  England,"  who  was  committed  to  the  Tower  on 
June  6th,  1683,  "  for  levying  war  against  the  King," 
and  was  ordered  "  to  be  confined  during  His  Majesty's 
pleasure."^ 

There  is  no  record  to  show  when  the  Ravens  at  the 
Tower  became  one  of  its  historic  features,  but  according 
to  tradition  it  is  a  matter  of  considerable  antiquity.  One 
of  the  Yeomen  Warders  has  charge  of  the  Ravens,  and 
there  is  a  grant  for  their  feed  twice  a  day.  They  each 
have  names,  and  an  attestation  card  hke  a  soldier,  on 
which  is  entered  the  usual  particulars.  Thus  one  is 
named  James  Crow,  and  under  the  heading  "  profession  " 
appears  the  laconic  description  "  thief."  One  of  the 
Ravens  recently  became  so  attached  to  the  officers  of  the 
regiment  in  garrison,  that  when  they  in  their  turn  went 
to  the  Great  War,  he  disappeared  ;  whether  to  fight  the 

1  Tower  of  London,  by  Ricliard  Davey,  p.  302  footnote. 


104  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Germans,  or  because  he  could  not  bear  to  part  with  his 
friends  has  not  been  ascertained. 

To  a  large  proportion  of  those  who  visit  the  Tower 
the  human  touch  given  by  the  Yeomen  Warders,  these 
old  warriors,  dressed  much  as  their  ancestors  were  in  the 
days  of  Henry  VIII,  adds  greatly  to  the  historic  realism 
of  the  scene.  Like  men  received  Queen  Anne  Boleyn 
and  the  Duke  of  Monmouth  ;  Yeomen  Warders  such  as 
these  guarded  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  and  the  Seven  Bishops  ; 
their  forbears  marched  before  the  Duke  of  Somerset  and 
the  Earl  of  Essex  on  their  way  to  the  fatal  block.  But 
looking  at  these  men  in  happier  days,  visions  of  dungeons, 
the  rack,  and  the  scaffold  disappear,  and  instead  upon 
them  shines  the  honest  light  of  soldiers  who  have  fought 
and  bled  for  their  King  and  country  on  many  a  battle- 
field in  many  a  land,  and  through  the  reigns  of  three 
monarchs  of  the  Empire. 


<    c 


VIII 
KNIGHTS   OF  THE   BATHi 

Ancient  connection  of  the  Order  with  the  Tower — Its  origin — 
Bodily  and  spiritual  cleansing  before  knighthood — The  knights 
and  their  ventures — The  King  orders  a  bath — The  ancient 
ceremony — Henry  IV  makes  forty-six  knights — Their  baths 
in  the  White  Tower — The  oath  of  a  Knight  of  the  Bath — The 
knight  goes  to  bed — His  night  vigil — Watching  his  arms — 
In  the  King's  train  to  Westminster — The  ceremony  in  Henry 
VI's  reign — Described  in  full — An  expensive  inclination — 
Thirteen  knights  as  valets — The  Earl  Marshal  takes  his  horse 
as  a  perquisite — "  A  newly  wedded  wife  " — The  white  lace — 
The  knight's  armour — The  procedure  of  to-day — "  Rise, 
Sir " — £700  share  towards  a  ball — ^50  for  a  C.B. — Exten- 
sion of  the  Order 

THE  Order  of  the  Bath  has  a  very  close  and 
early  connection  with  the  Tower  of  London, 
for  it  was  here  that  the  quaint  ceremonies  in 
connection  with  the  initiation  of  Knights 
took  place.  As  the  Order  of  the  Garter  owes  its  origin 
to  a  lady's  garter,  so  does  the  Order  of  the  Bath  to  the 
bodily  and  spiritual  purification  of  the  Knight  before 
he  took  the  oath  of  chivalry.  Both  these  Orders  are  of 
great  antiquity,  but  they  came  into  recognized  being, 
with  statutes,  rules,  and  regulations  within  about  fifty 
years  of  each  other  in  the  fourteenth  century. 

Hundreds  of  years  before  that,  however,  there  were 
many  bold  warriors  who  wore  armour  as  their  daily 
garb,  and  rode  about  the  country  succouring  distressed 
maidens,  and  even  widows ;  and  entering  into  mortal 
combat  with  other  stray  and  gallant  knights  who,  if  the 
truth  were  known,  were  possibly  similarly  engaged. 

1  The  author  is  much  indebted  in  this  chapter  to  The  Most  Honour- 
able Order  of  the  Bath,  by  Canon  Jocelyn  Perkins. 

105 


io6  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Indeed  they  were  each  and  all  out  for  fighting,  who- 
ever and  whatever  they  encountered,  knights,  or 
dragons,  or  despotic  parents  ;  and  often  on  what  seems 
to  more  prosaic  days  somewhat  slender  causes  of  offence, 
slew  them  or  held  them  to  ransom.  Thus  one  knight, 
according  to  romance,  would  place  the  glove  of  the 
Ladye  Ermyntrude  in  his  helmet,  and  ride  about  the 
roads  and  forests  maintaining  that  she  was  the  fairest, 
and  also  the  most  virtuous  ladye  in  the  land.  It  would 
not  be  long  before  he  would  meet  another  knight  with 
another  ladye's  glove,  that  of  the  Ladye  Ethelberga  no 
doubt,  in  his  helmet,  who  also  was  considered  by  this 
champion  as  the  fairest,  and  most  virtuous  in  the  land. 
Whereupon  the  two  knights,  neither  having  seen  the 
other's  lady,  or  knowing  anything  for  or  indeed  against 
her  virtue,  would  set  to  work  to  charge  and  perchance 
kill  each  other  on  this  delicate  and  debateable  point. 

The  greater  knights  rode  in  companies,  with  retinues 
of  armed  retainers  ;  freelances  all,  who  placed  their 
services  at  the  disposal  of  any  monarch,  or  potentate,  who 
required  armed  assistance.  The  quarrel  was  none  of 
theirs,  but  fighting  was  their  trade,  and  they  lived  by 
fighting  where,  and  when,  it  could  be  found.  They  were 
fine  fellows,  but  undoubtedly  they  fought  for  shekels  as 
well  as  for  knightly  honour,  and  they  held  to  ransom 
those  whom  they  overthrew  for  adequate,  and  some- 
times princely  sums.  Many  knights  too,  apart  from 
gain  and  glory,  followed  with  fiery  zeal  the  red  cross 
against  the  crescent,  which  shone  over  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
for  many  centuries  till  the  flag  of  England  replaced  it  in 
1 91 7.  But  employed  how  or  where  they  might  be 
armour  was  their  daily  garment. 

This  being  so,  it  happened  that  one  day,  in  the  dark 
and  misty  ages,  a  doughty  warrior,  who  shall  be  name- 
less, was  for  great  and  consistent  bravery  brought  before 
the  King,  who  shall  also  be  nameless,  to  be  knighted. 
And  the  King,  though  himself  brave  and  inured  to 
hardships,  could  not  but  be  aware  that  a  very  penetrating 
odour  arose  from  the  brave  warrior  ;    indeed  so  potent 


'i'c 


-   H 
W   < 

o  ^ 


■-.  o 


—  CG 

-  < 

Z    33 


■z  < 


KNIGHTS   OF  THE  BATH  107 

was  it  that  the  King  felt  that  even  with  his  sword  he 
could  barely  cleave  a  way  through  it.  Turning  there- 
fore to  the  Lord  of  his  Privy  Closet  he  said  :  "  Per- 
adventure  this  brave  fellow  requires  rest,  and  refresh- 
ment, after  his  great  and  prolonged  heroism.  Therefore 
take  him  away  and  give  him  a  Bath,  and  fresh  raiment, 
and  sustenance,  and  then  bring  him  before  me  again  to 
be  Knighted."  And  so  he  did,  and  that  was  the  origin 
of  the  Order  of  the  Bath.  But  the  Bath  had  also  a 
symboHc  meaning  typefying  the  spiritual,  as  well  as 
bodily,  cleanhness  of  the  Knight  before  he  took  his  oath. 

The  most  noble  Order  did  not,  however,  become 
statutory  till  the  year  1399.  And  it  is  in  the  reigns  of 
the  earlier  Kings  of  England  that  we  read  chiefly  of  the 
quaint  and  ancient  ceremonies  connected  with  initiation 
into  the  Order.  Those  who  were  to  be  admitted  to 
the  Order  were  selected  beforehand  by  the  King,  the 
ceremony  of  initiation  taking  place  on  the  eve  of  the 
coronation.  This  followed  a  generally  laid  down  ancient 
ritual,  and  to  find  an  early  description  of  it  we  may  turn 
to  the  coronation  of  Henry  IV. 

Round  one  of  the  large  halls  in  the  White  Tower  on 
the  eve  of  the  King's  coronation  were  ranged  forty-six 
baths,  filled  with  warm  water,  and  draped  within  and 
without  with  clean  sheets  ;  over  each  bath  was  a  canopy 
spread.  Into  these  forty-six  baths  stepped  the  forty-six 
knights- to-be,  and  performed  their  ablutions.  When 
these  were  completed  a  distinguished  train,  headed  by 
the  King,  and  consisting  of  nobles  and  prelates,  entered 
the  hall  with  all  pomp  and  ceremony.  The  King  then 
slowly  approached  each  aspirant,  as  he  sat  in  his  bath, 
and,  dipping  his  finger  in  the  water,  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross  on  his  bare  back.  At  the  same  time  His  Majesty 
pronounced  the  solemn  words  which  made  an  esquire 
into  a  Knight  of  the  Bath. 

"  You  shall  honor  God  above  all  things ;  you  shall  be 
steadfast  in  the  faith  of  Christ  ;  you  shall  love  the  King 
your  Sovereign  Lord,  and  him  and  his  right  defend  to 
your  power  ;    you  shall  defend  maidens,  widows,  and 


io8  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

orphans  in  their  rights,  and  shall  suffer  no  extortion,  as 
far  as  you  may  prevent  it  ;  and  of  as  great  honor  be  this 
Order  unto  you,  as  ever  it  was  to  any  of  your  progenitors 
or  others." 

When  each  in  his  turn  had  thus  been  knighted  the 
King  w^ith  his  retinue  slowly  passed  out  of  the  hall. 
The  Knights  then  rose  from  their  baths  and  were  by 
their  esquires  each  put  into  a  bed  with  rich  hangings, 
which  stood  behind  each  bath. 

After  the  Knights  had  rested  for  some  time  in  these 
beds  and  were  warm  and  dry,  the  old  bell  on  the  Bell 
Tower,  which  still  rings  nightly  at  the  curfew  hour, 
summoned  them  to  rise  again.  As  each  arose  his  esquire 
robed  him  in  a  long  brown  woollen  cassock  with  a  cowl, 
such  as  is  worn  by  monks  and  hermits,  and  in  procession 
the  Knights,  preceded  by  music,  made  their  way  to  St. 
John's  Chapel,  in  the  White  Tower.  Round  the  chapel 
on  the  pillars,  and  about  the  high  altar  were  arranged 
the  helmets,  and  armour,  and  swords,  and  spurs  of  the 
new  Knights,  and  before  these  each  Knight  knelt  in 
devotion,  and  watched  his  armour  all  night. 

There  is  a  picture  called  "  The  Vigil,"  by  Petitt,  in 
the  Tate  Gallery  in  which  the  spirit  of  the  scene  is 
faithfully  portrayed  ;  the  young  Knight  in  his  long 
vigil  dedicating  his  sword  to  the  service  of  the  Almighty. 
A  very  beautiful  panel  by  Aumonieri  giving  the  same 
idea  is  reproduced  in  these  pages. 

When  the  day  dawned  the  Knights  donned  their 
armour,  and,  mounting  their  chargers,  joined  the  great 
procession  of  the  King  through  the  streets  of  London 
to  the  coronation  at  Westminster. 

It  was  not,  however,  till  a  later  reign,  that  of  Henry  VI, 
that  the  ritual  was  laid  down  in  writing,  probably  from 
notes  dating  back  to  the  reign  of  Edward  IV.  Though 
this  follows  with  some  closeness  the  ceremony  as  per- 
formed in  previous  reigns  it  may  be  of  interest,  especially 
to  members  of  the  Order  of  the  Bath,  to  give  the  pro- 

^  W.  Auraonier,  34  Charlotte  Street,  Fitzroy  Square,  where  repHcas 
may  be  obtained. 


iiMnhiMMifiiiijlii)b!lK!LJKjiiiil!^liLiit|]{lillll,.Hi|llliialiliiiii!Jimil'y!iilM 


KNIGHTS   OF  THE   BATH  109 

cedure  in  some  detail,  more  especially  as  it  is  accompanied 
hy  contemporary  illustrations  portraying  many  interest- 
ing features. 1 

First  may  be  seen  arriving  at  Court  the  aspirant  to 
knighthood,  accompanied  by  "  two  worshipful  squires, 
wise,  and  well  nourished  in  courtesy  and  expert  in  the 
deeds  of  Knighthood,"  whose  duty  it  was  to  support 
and  assist  him  in  the  series  of  ceremonies  which  were 
associated  with  the  Order.  These  were  known  as  his 
Governors,  and  their  duties,  as  may  be  gathered  from 
what  follows,  were  by  no  means  light. 

Being  conducted  into  the  banqueting  hall,  the 
aspirant's  duty  was  to  serve  the  King  with  water,  or  with 
a  dish  only  of  the  first  course  ;  thus  performing  his  last 
duty  as  a  squire,  for  as  a  Knight  he  would  be  exempt 
from  such  service.  The  King  may  be  observed  seated 
alone  at  the  high  table  ;  and  apparently  he  dined  with 
his  crown  on  his  head,  and  with  a  tippet  of  royal  ermine 
round  his  shoulders. 

The  two  Governors  then  showed  the  aspirant  to  the 
chamber,  where  he  was  to  be  made  ready  for  the  ceremony 
of  the  Bath.  Towards  evening  they  sent  for  the  barber, 
who  in  those  days  appears  to  have  combined  many 
duties,  being  a  leche  or  doctor,  as  well  as  a  barber  as  we 
understand  it,  and  apparently  a  professional  bathman  as 
well.  The  barber  first  shaved  the  aspirant  with  mani- 
festly a  very  formidable  weapon,  and  then  "  rounded 
his  head,"  that  is  cut  his  hair  so  that  it  hung  short  to  the 
neck.  His  next  duty  was  to  "  make  ready  a  bath,  in  the 
best  wise  that  he  can  ;  within  and  without  wrapped  with 
linen  cloth,  clean  and  white,  and  covered  with  thick 
carpets,  or  mantles,  for  cold  of  the  night."  These  carpets 
or  mantles,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  engraving,  formed  a 
sort  of  pavilion  over  the  bath. 

All  being  now  ready  the  two  worshipful  squires  or 
Governors  went  to  the  King  and  informed  His  Majesty 

^  De  Studio  Militari,  by  Nicolaus  Upton  about  a.d.  1428,  translated 
from  the  Latin  by  Canon  Jocelyn  Perkins  in  his  Most  Honourable  Order 
of  the  Bath. 


no  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

that  their  master  was  "  ready  unto  the  Bath,  when  it 
pleaseth  unto  your  Royal  Majesty."  The  King  then 
ordered  his  Chamberlain,  who  was  to  be  accompanied  by 
the  most  worthy  and  most  wise  Knights,  and  to  be  pre- 
ceded by  minstrels  singing  and  dancing,  to  proceed  to 
the  squire  who  is  to  be  knighted,  "  to  the  intent  that 
they  shall  the  same  Squire  truly  counsel,  and  teach 
wisely  of  the  Order  of  Knighthood." 

The  two  Governors  on  hearing  the  approach  of  the 
minstrels  "  shall  make  naked  their  master,  and  all  naked 
shall  be  put  into  the  Bath."  The  minstrels  having  thus 
served  their  purpose  remained  outside,  "  leaving  their 
noise  for  the  time  "  ;  whilst  the  Chamberlain,  accom- 
panied by  the  aforesaid  most  worthy  and  most  wise 
Knights,  entered  the  chamber.  Having  performed 
mutual  salutations,  one  of  the  most  worthy  and  most  wise 
Knights  knelt  before  the  Bath,  whilst  the  two  worshipful 
squires  "  kept  the  sides  of  the  Bath,"  and  secretly  to 
the  squire  in  the  Bath  thus  said  : 

"  Right  dear  Brother,  great  worship  be  this  Order 
unto  you,  and  Almighty  God  give  you  the  praise  of  all 
Knighthood  ;  lo  !  this  is  the  Order  :  Be  ye  strong  in 
the  faith  of  holy  Church  ;  and  Widows  and  Maidens 
oppressed  relieve,  as  right  commandeth  :  give  ye  to  each 
one  his  own,  with  all  thy  mind,  above  all  things  love  and 
dread  God  ;  and  above  all  other  earthly  things  love  the 
King  the  Sovereign  Lord,  him,  and  his  right  defend 
unto  thy  power,  and  before  all  worldly  things  put  him 
in  worship,  and  things  that  be  not  to  be  undertaken 
beware  to  begin  ;  In  this  wise  or  better,  etc."  The 
wording  of  the  oath  it  will  be  noticed  is  very  much  the 
same  as  in  the  days  of  Henry  IV.  The  old  Knight  next 
took  some  water  from  the  Bath  in  his  hand  and  poured 
it  on  the  back  of  the  occupant.  The  procession  then 
left  the  hall  "  without  noise,"  presumably  from  the 
minstrels. 

After  this  the  worshipful  squires  took  their  master  out 
of  the  Bath,  "  and  lay  him  softly  in  his  Bed,  to  dry  ;  and 
the  Bed  shall  not  be  of  great  value  but  without  celour  or 


<  w 

c  o 

^  H 

W  O 

X 

H  O 

z  a 


o  " 


s  ^ 
H  a 


S^ 


o   - 


r  I 


KNIGHTS   OF  THE   BATH  in 

curtains,  and  when  the  Squire  is  well  dried,  he  shall  rise 
out  of  his  bed,  and  shall  clothe  him  warm  for  the  watch 
of  the  night,"  He  wore  such  clothes  as  seemed  good  to 
him  beneath,  and  over  these  a  cape  of  black  russet  with 
long  sleeves  with  the  hood  sewed  into  the  cape,  in  the 
manner  of  an  hermit.  And  when  the  Squire  was  thus 
arrayed  and  made  ready,  the  Barber  is  directed  to  "  put 
away  the  Bath,  and  all  that  pertains  to  it,  as  well  within 
as  without  :  and  the  Barber  shall  take  all  these  for  his 
fee."  In  addition  he  was  to  receive  a  guerdon  for 
shaving  and  hair  cutting,  according  to  the  rank  and  means 
of  the  candidate,  "  be  he  a  Duke,  an  Earl,  a  Baron,  or 
a  Bachelor." 

The  doors  were  then  thrown  open  by  the  Governors 
to  give  admission  to  the  two  old  Knights  who  had  pre- 
viously assisted  at  the  ceremony  of  the  bathing  ;  these 
on  this  occasion  were  accompanied  by  their  squires,  and 
the  minstrels.  A  procession  being  formed  the  minstrels 
led  the  way  making  noise,  apparently  on  large  French 
horns,  and  singing,  and  dancing;  and,  thus  conducted, 
the  Knight-aspirant  arrived  at  the  Chapel  door. 

Into  the  Chapel  entered  only  the  two  old  Knights 
with  their  squires  and  the  Knight-aspirant  with  his  two 
Governors.  To  these  were  there  served  spices  and  wines 
at  the  expense  of  the  Knight-aspirant,  but  he  himself 
remained  fasting. 

Having  thus  refreshed  themselves  the  old  Knights  and 
their  squires  prepared  to  depart  leaving  the  Knight- 
aspirant  to  his  vigils.  And  he  kneeling  with  a  taper  in 
his  hand  "silently  thanked  them  for  their  labours  and 
worships." 

The  Governors  then  locked  the  doors  of  the  Chapel ; 
within  remainin,^  only,  in  the  dim  light  of  candles,  the 
Knight-aspirant  with  his  two  Governors,  the  Officers  of 
Arms,  and  the  Watch.  Through  the  long  night  the 
new  Knight  knelt  and  watched  his  arms,  "  ever  in  his 
prayers  praying  and  beseeching  Almighty  God  that 
this  passing  temporary  dignity  might  be  worthily  worn 
by  him  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  honour  of  the 


112  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Order."  Thus  he  continued  till  dawn  was  near  approach- 
ing, and  happy  was  he  whose  vigil  fell  in  the  summer 
solstice. 

When  dawn  was  near  a  priest  knocked  at  the  door,  and, 
being  admitted,  proceeded  to  the  altar  and  there  heard 
the  young  Knight's  confession,  and  if  he  wished  it  gave 
him  the  Sacrament.  During  the  celebration  of  the  Mass 
one  of  the  Governors  held  a  lighted  taper  before  the 
young  Knight,  and  this  he  placed  in  his  hand  when  the 
priest  commenced  reading  the  Gospel.  And  so  he  held 
it  till  the  Gospel  was  finished. 

When  it  came  to  the  Elevation  of  the  Host  one  of  the 
Governors  put  back  the  hood  off  the  young  Knight's 
head,  and  so  kept  it  till  after  the  sight  of  the  Sacrament, 
when  it  was  replaced. 

The  service  in  the  Chapel  concluded  with  a  still  more 
curious  ceremony  in  which  a  lighted  taper  played  a  part. 
The  young  Knight  stood  before  the  altar,  and  into  his 
hands  was  placed  by  one  of  the  Governors  another  taper, 
whilst  the  second  Governor  again  put  off  the  hood.  In 
this  taper  was  fixed  a  penny,  and  when  the  priest  pro- 
nounced the  words  ^''Verhum  caro  factum  est^''  the  young 
Knight  knelt  and  offered  the  taper  and  the  penny  to 
him.  "  The  taper  to  the  worship  of  Almighty  God,  and 
the  penny  to  the  worship  of  him  that  shall  make  him  a 
Knight." 

The  vigil  was  now  over,  and  as  day  dawned  the 
Governors  conducted  the  young  Knight  back  to  his 
chamber,  and  there  put  him  to  bed  ;  that  he  might  take 
rest,  being  weary  with  the  watch  of  the  night.  But  the 
rest  was  not  for  long,  for  as  soon  as  it  was  broad  daylight, 
at  the  King's  command,  a  company  of  Knights  together 
with  their  squires  and  the  minstrels,  again  making  a  noise, 
proceeded  to  the  door  of  the  chamber.  There  the 
serenade  suddenly  ceased,  and  the  company  of  Knights 
entered  the  chamber  softly  and  without  noise,  and, 
approaching  the  bed,  did  say,  "  Sir,  good  day,  it  is  time 
to  arise."  Hearing  which  the  two  worshipful  Squires 
took  and  raised  their  master  in  their  arms. 


TKK    KSQUIKK    K 1 1)  I  M ;    Tu    THE     KIMTS     HALL,    HIS    SWORD 
CARKIKI)    HU.T     I'l'WAKDS   l;Y  A    "YOUNCi    GENTLE    SQUIRE" 
15. 


■[]]]■:  kim;   i;ks  I  dwim;    thk    sword    and   si'UKS  on  the 

ES()riRE 


KNIGHTS   OF  THE  BATH  113 

The  clothing  and  apparelling  of  the  young  Knight 
was  a  matter  of  much  ceremony  and  was  undertaken 
entirely  by  the  attendant  Knights.  To  the  most  worthy 
and  the  most  wise  of  these  was  entrusted  the  duty  of 
placing  his  shirt  on  the  new  Knight.  The  next  most 
worthy  and  most  wise  assisted  him  into  his  breeches  : 
whilst  the  third  put  on  his  doublet.  The  fourth  Knight 
in  this  honourable  list  of  precedence  had  the  privilege 
of  placing  round  the  shoulders  of  the  new  member  of 
the  Order  a  surcoat  of  red  tartan.  So  far  he  had  been 
dressed  in  bed,  and  the  duty  of  the  next  two  Knights 
was  to  lift  their  future  brother  in  arms  off  the  bed.  Thus 
disposed,  two  more  Knights  stepped  forth,  to  do  on  his 
hose,  which  must  be  of  black  silk,  or  of  black  cloth,  with 
soles  of  leather  sewed  to  them.  This  was  in  the  days 
before  slippers  were  invented.  The  next  two  Knights 
were  assigned  a  simple  duty  ;  they  merely  buttoned  his 
sleeves.  Then  came  a  Knight  who  girded  the  aspirant 
with  a  girdle  of  white  leather,  "  without  harness  of  any 
metal,"  of  the  breadth  of  an  inch.  Followed  after,  one 
who  combed  his  hair,  and  another  who  put  the  coif 
upon  his  head. 

After  all  these  somewhat  trivial  services  it  appears  to 
have  been  left  to  the  least  worthy  and  least  wise  Knight 
to  add  the  historic  touch  ;  for  it  was  he  who  placed  on 
the  new  Knight  the  red  robe  of  the  Order,  "  the  mantle 
of  the  suit  of  the  curtell  of  red  tartan  fastened  with  a 
lace  of  white  silk  with  a  pair  of  white  gloves  hanging  at 
the  end  of  the  lace." 

In  all  it  will  be  seen  that  thirteen  Knights  were  thus 
employed  in  the  ceremony  of  apparelling  the  candidate 
for  the  golden  spurs. 

To  descend  somewhat  from  the  heroic,  it  is  definitely 
laid  down  that  the  Chamberlain  shall  supply  the  coif, 
the  girdle,  and  the  gloves,  but  indeed  it  was  a  good 
investment.  For  in  return  he  received  all  the  garments, 
and  all  the  array,  and  all  the  necessaries,  which  the 
Knight-aspirant  wore  when  he  arrived  at  Court  ;  indeed 
one  of  the  illustrations  discloses  this  high  official  removing 


114  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

the  young  Knight's  coat  whilst  he  was  in  bed  after 
his  bath.  To  the  Lord  Chamberlain  too  went  the  bed 
itself,  together  with  the  gold  embroidered  coverlet,  and 
all  other  necessaries  touching  the  said  bed.  To  him  also 
came  as  a  perquisite  the  first  robe  in  which  the  young 
Knight  was  clothed  after  he  was  admitted  into  the 
Order. 

It  will  doubtless  occur  to  a  more  cynical  age  that 
whilst  the  aspirant  to  knighthood  was  required  to  take 
oaths  of  unexceptional  virulence  and  excellence  against 
extortion  in  various  forms,  he  himself  was  made  a  victim 
of  the  same  without  remorse.  So  far  we  have  seen  that 
he  has  been  systematically  relieved  of  his  bath  with  its 
caparisons,  his  bed  with  its  rich  appointments,  his  clothes 
and  necessaries  ;  yet,  as  this  plain  record  will  unfold,  he  is 
yet  far  from  the  end  of  the  drain  on  his  tolerance,  and 
resources. 

Now  being  fully  equipped  the  Knight  elect  was  led 
forth,  and  mounted  his  horse,  that  he  might  ride  to  the 
King's  Hall,  which  when  the  King  lived  in  the  Tower  of 
London  can  only  have  been  a  few  yards  distant.  The 
saddle  and  bridle,  breastplate,  reins,  and  stirrups  were 
all  of  black  leather.  With  him  rode  a  young  "gentle 
squire,"  who  bare-headed  bore  the  new  Knight's  sword, 
hilt  upwards,  and  with  his  spurs  hanging  from  it.  Before 
them  went  the  Officers  of  Arms,  and  "  the  minstrels 
making  their  minstrelsy." 

At  the  door  of  the  King's  Hall  the  procession  was  met 
by  the  Marshals  and  Ushers,  who  "  in  the  most  honest 
wise "  invite  the  young  Knight  to  dismount  saying 
"  Cometh  down."  Whereupon  having  come  down,  the 
Marshal  of  England  took  his  horse  as  his  perquisite,  or 
allowed  him  to  ransom  it  for  one  hundred  shillings. 
Conducted  into  the  King's  Hall  the  old  Knights  grouped 
themselves  round  the  new  Knight,  whilst  before  him, 
between  the  two  Governors,  stood  the  young  squire, 
still  holding  the  sword  by  the  point,  hilt  upwards. 

All  being  ready  the  King  entered  the  Hall,  and  asked 
for  the  sword  and  spurs.    These  the  King's  Chamberlain 


9  K 


a  o 

fc.    ;^ 

o  a 


KNIGHTS   OF  THE   BATH  115 

took  from  the  young  squire,  and  presented  to  His 
Majesty.  Calling  forth  two  of  the  most  worthy  of  those 
present  the  King  bade  them  buckle  the  spurs  on  to  the 
new  Knight,  the  first  on  his  right  heel,  and  the  second 
on  his  left.  And  these  in  turn  kneeling  placed  the  new 
Knight's  foot  on  his  own  knee,  and  first  strapping  the 
spur  on  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  the  new  Knight's 
knee,  and  kissed  it.  "Then  the  King  in  the  meekness 
of  his  high  might,  taking  the  sword  into  his  hands "  girt 
with  it  the  new  Knight. 

The  King  then  put  his  arms  about  the  neck  of  the 
new  Knight  and,  lifting  up  his  right  hand,  smote  him  on 
the  neck,  saying,  "  Be  ye  a  good  Knight,"  and  kissed  him. 
In  the  engraving  the  Knight  appears  to  be  holding  an 
empty  gauntlet,  or  glove,  over  his  head,  but  no  mention 
of  this  is  made  in  the  script. 

The  procession  now  leaves  the  King's  presence,  and 
preceded  by  melody,  wends  its  way  again  to  the  Chapel, 
and  to  the  high  altar.  Here  the  new  Knight  ungirdles 
his  sword,  and  with  prayers  and  devotions  offers  it  to 
the  service  of  God  and  the  Holy  Church.  This  done  he 
is  allowed  his  first  refreshment,  "  a  sop  of  wine." 

Issuing  from  the  Chapel  a  very  curious  fate  awaited 
him.  There  he  found  the  Master  Cook  with  a  great 
knife  such  as  was  used  for  dressing  meat,  and  with  this 
he  made  as  if  to  chop  off  the  new  Knight's  spurs,  and 
did  in  fact  take  them  as  his  fee.  Considering  that  these 
spurs  had,  by  the  King's  order,  just  been  strapped  on  by 
two  high  Barons  or  Knights  of  the  Bath,  it  seems  curious 
that  they  should  be  thus  ignominiously  confiscated.  The 
explanation  given  is,  that  this  was  a  symbol  and  a  warn- 
ing that  should  the  new  Knight  ever  be  guilty  of  an 
unknightly  deed  his  spurs  would  be  indeed,  and  with 
ignominy  chopped  off  by  the  Master  Cook. 

Spurless  and  attended  by  Knights  and  squires,  the 
new  Knight  now  proceeded  to  the  banqueting  hall, 
where  a  feast  was  spread  for  all.  Seated  now  at  the 
Knight's  table  in  the  place  of  honour,  the  new  Knight 
may  not  eat  nor  drink,  nor  may  he  move.    Nor  is  he  "  to 


ii6  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

look  hither  nor  thither,  more  than  a  wife  new  wedded," 
and  we  are  left  to  infer  that  that  is  not  at  all.  The  only 
element  of  relaxation  allowed  during  this  spartan  feast 
is  supplied  by  one  of  the  Governors,  who  is  permitted  to 
stand  by  him  with  a  kerchief  should  he  have  need  of  it. 

After  this  unsatisfactory  meal  the  new  Knight  was 
led  to  his  chamber  "with  great  multitude  of  Knights, 
Squires,  and  Minstrels,  joying,  singing,  and  dancing." 
Here,  alas !  the  spoliation  of  the  new  Knight  was  renewed. 
The  array  which  he  had  so  lately  donned  had  to  be  given 
to  the  Kings-of-Arms  and  Heralds,  as  well  as  a  fee  of  at 
least  twenty  shillings.  His  grey  cope  went  to  the  Watch, 
or  a  noble  as  fee  instead.  He  then  had  to  don  a  new 
costume  consisting  of  a  robe  of  blue  with  strait  sleeves, 
and  upon  the  left  shoulder  a  white  lace  of  silk  hanging. 
This  white  lace  was  an  interesting  emblem,  for  the 
Knight  of  the  Bath  had  always  to  wear  it  till  he  had  done 
some  knightly  deed  the  fame  of  which  having  reached 
the  ears  of  the  worthy  Prince  who  had  made  him  a 
Knight  that  Prince  ordered  it  to  be  removed.  It  was 
also  open  to  some  noble  lady  to  take  away  the  white  lace 
from  his  shoulder,  saying,  "  Right,  dear  lord,  I  have 
heard  so  much  of  your  worships,  and  renown,  that  ye 
have  done  in  divers  parts  unto  the  great  worship  of 
Knighthood,  to  yourself,  and  to  him  that  made  you 
Knight,  that  desert  and  right  will,  that  this  lace  be  put 
and  take  away."  In  the  engraving  the  noble  lady,  of  no 
remarkable  beauty,  may  be  observed  removing  the  white 
lace,  whilst  the  worthy  Prince  aforesaid  looks  on  from 
the  gallery. 

This  emblem  of  the  white  lace  has  survived  to  this 
day,  though  possibly  few  know  its  origin.  It  may  be 
seen  on  the  shoulder  of  the  red  robe  worn  by  Knights 
Grand  Cross  of  the  Bath,  but  by  no  knightly  deed  can 
the  wearer  now  earn  its  removal  ;  it  has  become  part  of 
his  costume. 

The  long  and  it  must  be  confessed  somewhat  strenuous 
ceremonial  is  now  nearly  at  an  end.  It  remained  only 
for  the  Knight  in  his  new  robes  to  be  again  conducted 


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KNIGHTS   OF  THE   BATH  117 

before  the  King  that  he  might  kneel  and  thank  His 
Majesty  for  the  honour  bestowed  upon  him.  "  Most 
dread  and  most  mighty  Prince  of  my  httle  power  I 
thank  you  for  all  the  worships,  courtesies,  and  goodness 
which  you  have  done  unto  me."  And  so  saying  he  took 
leave  of  His  Majesty. 

All  the  ceremonies  now  being  completed,  and  the  new 
Knight  finally  back  in  his  chamber,  he  was  allowed  to 
partake  of  some  food.  After  this  meal  the  two  worshipful 
squires  who  have  been  his  Governors,  and  have  safely 
conducted  him  through  the  intricate  mazes  of  his  initia- 
tion as  a  Knight  of  the  Bath,  now  approach  to  take  leave. 
But  before  doing  so  they  have  a  request  to  prefer. 
"  Worshipful  Sir,  by  the  King's  command,  we  have 
served  you  to  the  best  of  our  power,  and  if  we  have  failed 
in  any  thing  we  beg  pardon  for  our  negligence.  Further- 
more as  is  the  custom  at  the  King's  Court  we  ask  and 
require  of  you  Robes  and  fees  suitable  for  a  Knight's 
squires,  and  to  remain  in  your  service  for  the  rest  of 
your  days." 

Before  leaving  the  Knights  of  old  it  may  be  of  interest 
to  notice  their  armour,  of  which  many  very  fine  sets  may 
be  seen  in  the  Tower. ^  There  is  a  good  deal  of  glamour 
thrown  over  the  Knights  and  their  heroic  deeds  which  an 
examination  of  their  armour  somewhat  tends  to  diminish. 
One  point  which  immediately  strikes  a  cavalry  soldier  is 
that  the  Knights  in  the  lists  engaged  each  other  left 
hand  to  left  hand.  Charging  right  hand  to  right  hand 
they  could  not  possibly  have  missed  each  other,  for 
an  expert  lancer  thus  charging  at  speed  will  knock  a 
florin  off  a  cleft  stick.  Next  it  will  be  noticed  that  the 
helmets  are  blind  on  the  left  side,  probably  to  save  the 
eye  from  splinters,  the  result  being  that  the  Knight  had 
not  only  to  charge  left  hand  to  left  hand,  but  was  blind 
that  side.  Next  came  the  question  of  speed.  A  horse  of 
the  modern  stamp  and  breeding,  unhampered  with 
armour,  and  with  a  light  weight  in  the  saddle,  would 
charge   at   great   speed,  but  a   heavily  armoured  horse 

*  See  p.  260. 


ii8  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

with  a  Knight  in  armour  on  his  back  could  move  but  slowly, 
a  modest  canter  at  most.  The  tilting  lance  used  by  the 
Knights,  too,  though  large  and  formidable  looking,  was 
made  of  very  friable  wood  and  easily  splintered.  Indeed 
we  must  put  aside  all  idea  that  tournament  fighting  was 
anything  but  a  fairly  harmless  amusement,  not  nearly  so 
dangerous  as  a  modern  game  of  polo.  This  view  is 
emphasized  by  the  scoring  sheets  of  the  sixteenth 
century  which  still  are  preserved  showing  that  the 
combatants  received  so  many  marks  according  to  the 
parts  of  the  opponent's  armour  which  they  hit.  The 
highest  marks  being  scored  for  a  point  on  the  helmet, 
the  next  highest  for  one  on  the  breast,  and  so  on  ;  the 
Knight  who  scored  the  greatest  number  of  marks  in  the 
tournament  was  proclaimed  champion,  and  crowned  with 
laurels  by  the  Queen  of  Beauty. 

In  Edward  VI  reign,  owing  it  is  said  to  want  of  time, 
the  ceremonies  of  initiation  into  the  Order  were  held  in 
abeyance.  The  elected  Knights  were  merely  called  in 
turn,  by  the  Garter  Principal  King  of  Arms,  before  the 
King  wearing  his  crown,  and  knighted.  This  indulgence, 
however,  appears  to  have  cost  the  Knights  dear,  for  they 
were  ordered  to  pay  double  the  fees  usually  charged, 
according  to  their  degrees  and  estates. 

A  delicate  situation  arose  when  a  Queen,  in  the  person 
of  Queen  Mary,  came  to  the  throne,  for  she  manifestly 
could  not  officiate  at  the  bathing  operations  of  a  large 
number  of  young  Knights.  The  difficulty  was,  however, 
surmounted,  both  in  her  reign  and  in  that  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  by  a  deputy  of  high  rank  being  appointed  to 
conduct  the  ceremonies  in  place  of  the  Sovereign. 

The  ancient  ritual  of  the  Order  of  the  Bath,  as 
associated  with  the  Tower  of  London,  has  undergone 
many  changes  and  abbreviations  since  it  passed  out  of  its 
history.  At  the  present  day  the  ceremony  has  reached  a 
very  brief  and  to  the  Knight  most  welcome  simplicity 
of  procedure.  The  Knight  elect  enters  the  Royal 
presence  and  bows,  he  then  advances  a  few  steps  and  bows 
again  ;    a  third  time  he  bows  as  he  arrives  close  to  the 


KNIGHTS   OF  THE  BATH  119 

King.  He  then  kneels  on  his  right  knee,  and  the  King 
places  the  ribbon  of  the  Order  over  his  neck,  and,  taking 
a  sword,  strikes  him  on  each  shoulder,  and  says  "  Rise, 
Sir  Thomas "  (or  whatever  his  Christian  name  may  be). 
The  new  Knight  then  rises,  kisses  the  King's  hand,  and 
backs  out  the  way  he  came,  making  three  bows  as  before. 

Nor  does  any  cost  now  fall  on  a  Knight  of  the  Bath, 
unhke  in  the  olden  days.  Even  in  the  reign  of  George  I, 
besides  all  other  expenses,  the  share  of  a  Knight  was  £joo 
towards  the  ball  given  at  Ranelagh,  or  elsewhere,  by  the 
new  Knights  to  from  2000  to  2500  guests.  As  late  even 
as  Queen  Victoria's  reign  a  Companion  of  the  Bath  was, 
with  the  insignia,  handed  by  the  Treasury  a  bill  for  £^0. 
This  sum  could,  however,  be  recovered  by  his  heirs  if 
they  returned  the  Order.  This  fee  also  was  abohshed 
owing  to  an  incident  which  arose  in  connection  with  a 
foreign  officer.  The  Queen  bestowed  the  C.B.  on  him 
as  a  mark  of  honour,  and  with  the  insignia  came  the  usual 
bill  for  ^50.  The  foreign  officer  had  not  ^50,  or  did 
not  care  to  spend  it  thus  ;  he  therefore  very  politely 
returned  the  Order.  This  brought  matters  to  a  climax 
and  the  fee  was  abohshed.  The  insignia  of  the  Order 
now  becomes  the  absolute  property  of  the  officer  who 
receives  it  and  his  heirs,  free  of  cost. 

The  Order  of  the  Bath  still  retains  its  pre-eminence 
as  an  Order  of  chivalry,  and  until  recent  years  could  as  a 
rule  only  be  earned  by  service  in  the  field  ;  one  of  the 
quahtications  being  that  the  recipient  must  be  a  Field 
Officer,  and  must  have  been  mentioned  by  name  in 
despatches.  With  the  institution  of  the  Civil  Com- 
panionship of  the  Order  the  doors  were  opened  to 
diplomatists  and  civil  servants  of  the  Crown,  as  well  as  to 
soldiers  and  sailors.  This,  whilst  admitting  many  dis- 
tinguished members,  removed  the  purely  fighting  qualifi- 
cation. Before  the  Great  War  probably  there  were  more 
members  who  had  been  received  into  the  Order  for 
duties  in  peace  time  than  for  distinction  on  the  battle- 
field, but  the  balance  should  now  be  the  other  way. 


IX 

THE  TWO   QUEENS 

Queen  Anne  Boleyn — Record  of  the  trial — The  original  bag  and 
manuscript — Her  personal  appearance  and  charm  of  manner — 
A  daughter  of  yeoman  stock — Introduced  at  Court — Marries 
the  King — Three  happy  years — Ambassadors  on  the  trail — 
The  fete  at  Greenwich — Imprisoned  in  the  Tower — The 
Indictment — The  preliminary  enquiry — The  King's  royal 
body — Its  inward  displeasure  and  heaviness — The  trial  and 
sentence — To  be  burned  or  beheaded  as  shall  please  the  King — 
Anne  Boleyn's  room  in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings — "  Anne  " 
inscribed — Her  letter  to  the  King — Found  amongst  Earl  of 
Essex  papers — Her  trial  more  fully  described — Her  dress  and 
demeanour — The  executioner  from  Calais — By  sword  rather 
than  by  axe — Anne  Boleyn's  last  days — Her  dress  at  her 
execution — Last  words  and  last  deeds — Coffined  in  an  arrow 
chest — Buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula — Queen  Katherine 
Howard — The  fifth  wife — Honourable,  clean,  and  maidenly  — 
Thirteen  months  of  marriage — The  informer  Lascelles — The 
Archbishop's  letter  to  the  King — The  King's  incredulity — 
Enquiry  ordered — Some  unknightly  gentlemen — Justly  hanged 
— The  Queen  attainted  by  Parliament — Sentenced  to  death — 
Lady  Rochford  shares  her  fate — Otwell  Johnson's  account  of 
the  execution — Queen  Katherine  Howard  buried  in  St.  Peter's 
ad  Vincula. 

Anne  Boleyn  {b.  1507;    d.  May  13th,  1536) 

OF  Henry  VHI's  six  wives  two  ended  their  days 
on  the  scaffold  on  Tower  Green,  and  rest 
together  before  the  altar  in  the  chapel  of 
St.  Peter  ad  Vincula.  Both  young,  both 
beautiful,  and  both  condemned  for  the  same  crimes 
against  His  Majesty's  regal  dignity.  These  were  Queen 
Anne  Boleyn  and  Queen  Katherine  Howard,  and 
perhaps  few  at  this  day  would  be  prepared  to  justify,  or 
even  extenuate,  these  extreme  examples  of  the  un- 
tempered  power  of  despotic  monarchy. 

When  one  reads  that  the  charges  against  Queen  Anne 


THE  TWO  QUEENS  121 

Boleyn  were  so  indelicate  that  they  are  not  fit  tor 
present  day  pubHcation,  it  is  only  natural  that  one  should 
wish  to  see  what  these  high  crimes  and  misdemeanours 
might  have  been,  which  brought  a  gentle  lady  to  the 
block,  before  passing  judgment. 

In  Chancery  Lane  is  the  Record  Office,  presided  over 
by  the  Master  of  the  Rolls,  and  in  that  office  is  pre- 
served a  record  of  every  trial  of  importance,  which  has 
taken  place  in  England,  since  law  became  an  estabhshed 
institution.  The  building  is  an  enormous  one,  as  well  it 
may  be,  and  the  number  of  records  therein  contained 
must  be  as  sand  on  the  seashore,  or  as  the  stars  of  heaven. 
Naturally  therefore  the  historical  searcher  is  prepared  to 
await  several  days,  or  possibly  weeks,  before  so  ancient  a 
document  as  the  Indictment  of  Queen  Anne  Boleyn 
can  be  produced  from  around  and  beneath  tons  of  legal 
documents.  Such  was  indeed  the  anticipation  in  the 
present  case,  but  with  the  assistance  of  a  most  courteous 
and  obliging  secretary,  in  the  course  of  ten  minutes  the 
identical  bag,  containing  the  original  manuscript  con- 
nected with  the  trial  of  Anne  Boleyn  was  placed  on  the 
table. 

The  bag  is  of  thin  white  leather  or  parchment,  very 
roughly  made,  and  drawn  together  at  the  mouth  with  a 
primitive  thong.  Inside  just  loosely  threaded  together, 
probably  by  some  casual  clerk  after  the  great  trial,  are 
several  pieces  of  manuscript  of  various  sizes  and  shapes, 
which  at  first  sight  might  be  odd  receipts,  or  bills,  from 
an  old-time  merchant's  office.  The  largest  and  longest 
of  these  loose  sheets  is  the  Indictment  of  Queen  Anne 
Boleyn,  written  in  Latin,  and  as  fresh  and  clear  as  it  was 
when  inscribed  on  the  15th  day  of  May,  1536,  nearly 
four  hundred  years  ago. 

Before,  however,  we  come  to  her  trial  let  us  see  the 
Queen  in  her  prosperity.  Anne  Boleyn  was  not  of  royal, 
or  even  noble,  birth.  Her  direct  ancestor  was  a  yeoman 
of  Norfolk,  apprenticed  to  a  silk  mercer  in  London  ; 
her  father  was  a  Knight,  indeed,  but  not  of  the  sword  ^ 

^  Afterwards  made  Earl  of  Wiltshire. 


122  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

To  judge  by  some  of  the  uncompromising  engravings  of 
her  handed  down  to  posterity  she  was  not  even  good 
looking,  but  we  prefer  to  accept  a  more  favourable 
presentment  to  be  found  in  the  British  Museum,  here 
reproduced.  Contemporary  historians  are,  however,  by 
no  means  universally  uncritical ;  and  one  mentions  that 
she  had  an  "  Adam's  apple  "  which  was  considered  a 
great  disfigurement,  whilst  another  emphasizes  that  one 
of  her  fingers  was  split  so  that  it  looked  like  two.  On  the 
other  hand,  all  writers  universally  commend  her  beautiful 
teeth,  soft  black  eyes,  and  raven  locks  ;  and  agree  in 
giving  her  grace,  wit,  and  charm  of  manner.  She  also 
dressed  to  perfection,  and  was  held  up  as  a  model,  even 
by  the  French  ladies  of  those  days.  She  danced  with 
great  grace  and  spirit,  and  was  in  all  manifestly  a  bright 
and  joyous  lady. 

Birth  and  lineage  were  nothing  to  Henry  VIII,  he 
had  sufficient  of  his  own.  He  was  in  search  of  pleasure, 
and  a  son,  and  in  a  fortunate,  or  unfortunate,  moment 
this  gay  and  lightsome  lass  drifted  into  the  polygamaniacal 
procession  of  the  great  King. 

It  may  perhaps  be  wondered  how  the  daughter  of  a 
Knight,  and  no  great  Knight,  came  within  the  magic 
circle  wherein  the  King  might  see  and  know  her.  But 
though  of  yeoman  stock  themselves  the  Boleyns,  with 
the  silk  mercer's  fortune,  had  married  into  good  families, 
and  Anne's  mother  was  the  sister  of  no  less  a  personage 
than  the  Duke  of  Norfolk.  This  then  was  the  golden 
gate  through  which  an  unknown  girl  entered  the  royal 
palace,  and  in  due  course  took  her  place  on  the  throne 
beside  the  King.  In  the  month  of  May,  1533,  this 
unknown  maid  reached  that  giddy  eminence  ;  in  1536, 
and  again  in  the  month  of  May,  she  laid  her  head  upon 
the  lowly  block.  Three  years  of  splendour  and  all  that 
the  world  could  give,  and  then  under  flags  of  St.  Peter 
ad  Vincula.  Yet  in  those  three  years  she  left  a  great  and 
priceless  legacy,  a  little  daughter,  one  day  to  be  the 
great  and  glorious  Queen  Elizabeth.  A  Queen  of 
England,  indeed,  who  knew  how  straight  to  deal  with 


QUrCEN    ANNE    BOI-EYN 


\Ficii)i  t/ie  British  Museum^ 


THE  TWO  QUEENS  123 

Spanish  Armadas,  as  well  as  with  German  marauders 
disguised  as  Hanseatic  merchants. 

It  is  pleasant  to  think  of  those  three  happy  years, 
whilst  the  sun  shone  and  all  was  gay  and  bright.  Dancing, 
and  tourneys,  and  gay  journeyings  by  land  and  water 
Gallant  Knights,  gay  ladies,  music  and  mirth.  Doubt- 
less the  wine  of  life  got  a  little  to  the  young  Queen's 
head,  and  both  ways  she  became  a  little  reckless,  con- 
sidering the  narrowness  of  the  plank  she  trod,  and  the 
depth  of  the  abyss  below.  On  the  one  hand  she  un- 
doubtedly made  enemies  with  her  quick  and  ready 
retorts  ;  and  possibly  she  forgot  that  a  Queen  thus  hits 
a  man,  or  woman,  who  cannot  return  the  barbed  shuttle- 
cock. The  verbal  barb  sticks  and  makes  a  sore,  and  that 
is  dangerous.  Such  an  open  sore  had  Chapuys  the 
Imperial  Ambassador,  and  begot  of  it  was  a  deadly 
hatred  of  the  Queen,  and  a  festering  intent  to  bring 
about  her  downfall.  For  Ambassadors  of  those  days 
were  not  necessarily,  or  even  as  a  rule,  elderly  and 
amiable  gentlemen,  bedecked  with  stars  and  garters, 
whose  business  it  was  to  keep  the  peace.  Quite  the 
contrary,  they  were  not  unusually  intriguers  of  the 
deepest  dye,  who  interfered,  in  what  we  should  con- 
sider the  most  outrageous  manner,  with  the  domestic 
affairs  of  the  country  to  which  they  were  accredited. 
Their  ambition  appeared  to  be  to  stir  up  as  much 
troubled  water  as  possible,  so  that  they  and  their  own 
masters  might  profit  thereby  to  the  full  extent.  To 
read  the  reports  to  their  own  Sovereigns  of  some  of 
these  pernicious  high  plenipotentiaries  is  to  read  a  com- 
bination of  gossip,  scandal,  and  malicious  reports 
sufficient  to  sink  a  battleship,  and  certainly  enough  to 
drown  a  Queen  and  her  reputation. 

Erring  thus  in  worldly  wisdom,  apart  from  statecraft, 
the  young  Queen  in  her  joyous  exuberance  assuredly 
gave  handle  to  the  malice  of  those  who  went  about  to 
ruin  her.  According  to  the  Indictment,  there  was 
undoubtedly  considerable  opening  for  criticism  in  these 
frohcs,  indeed  most  of  the  accusations  are  such  as  we  are 


124  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

accustomed  to  read,  less  bluntly  worded,  in  modern 
Divorce  Court  proceedings.  But  much  difference  lies 
in  these  centuries.  To-day  we  should  not  hang  a  dog 
without  the  most  conclusive  evidence  of  his  guilt.  In 
the  sixteenth  century  it  was  possible  for  a  Queen  to  be 
brought  to  the  scaffold  on  a  simple  statement  of  offences 
unsupported  by  evidence,  and  for  that  Queen  to  be 
arraigned  without  any  counsel  for  her  defence.  There 
was  nothing  criminal  in  eight  out  of  the  nine  offences 
brought  before  the  Court,  they  were  at  the  most,  if 
proved,  sufficient  to  procure  a  divorce.  The  ninth 
however  alleged  treason,  for  it  stated  that  the  Queen 
was  reported  to  have  said  that  she  would  marry  one  or 
other  of  these  young  gallants,  when  the  King  died.  That 
is  a  remark  which  may  have  been  made  in  jest  ;  it  may 
even  have  been  made  in  a  moment  of  sentimental 
aberration  ;  but  it  seems  hardly  conceivable  that  any 
sane  woman,  who  had  achieved  so  high  an  estate,  would 
dehberately  cast  her  crown  to  the  ground  to  become 
plain  Mrs.  Noreys,  the  wife  of  a  groom  of  the 
chambers. 

Anne  Boleyn  may,  or  may  not,  have  been  a  flippant 
dame,  but  she  has  undoubtedly  gained  her  place  amongst 
posterity  as  an  ill-used  woman,  if  not  a  martyr,  from  the 
inherent  feehng  of  justice  and  chivalry  which  illuminate 
later  ages.  There  was  chivalry  in  those  days,  and  a  rude 
sense  of  justice,  but  chivalry  and  justice  were  somewhat 
warped  by  the  unpopularity  of  the  Queen.  She  was  a 
usurper  and  upstart  ;  she  was  held  to  have  ousted  by 
ignoble  means  her  predecessor  in  the  royal  couch  ;  she 
was  not  of  royal  blood  ;  she  was  nobody  and  nothing 
but  the  temporary  whim  of  the  King. 

However  woven,  the  net  was  closing  round  her,  and 
was  drawn  tight  the  day  after  a  tournament  at  Green- 
wich, which  took  place  on  May  ist,  1536.  During  that 
tournament  the  Queen  was  said  to  have  dropped  a 
handkerchief,  which  one  Hen.  Noreys  of  Westminster, 
gentleman  of  the  privy  chamber,  picked  up  and  pressed 
to  his  Hps.     Next  day  she  was  arrested  at  Greenwich  ; 


THE  TWO  QUEENS  125 

and  still  wearing  the  magnificent  garments  she  had 
dined  in,  was  conveyed  by  river  to  the  Tower  ;  and  so 
through  the  historic  Traitor's  Gate,  never  to  see  the 
bright  world  again. 

Apparently  a  preliminary  enquiry  was  held  by  a 
magistrate  of  the  name  of  Sir  John  Baldwin  and 
reads  : — 

"  Indictment  made  before  Sir  John  Baldwin  by  the 
oaths  of  Giles  Heron,  Roger  More,  Ric.  Awnsham,  Thos. 
Byllinton,  Gregory  Lovell,  Jo.  Worsop,  Will.  Goddard, 
Will.  Blakwall,  Jo.  Wylford,  Will.  Berd,  Hen.  Hubbyl- 
thorn.  Will.  Hunnyng,  Rob.  Walys,  John  England,  Hen. 
Lodysman,  and  John  Avery,  who  present  that  whereas 
Queen  Anne  has  been  the  wife  of  Henry  VHI  for  three 
years  and  more,  she,  despising  her  marriage  and  enter- 
taining malice  against  the  King  and  following  daily  her 
frail  and  carnal  lusts,  did  falsely  and  traitorously " 

Here  follow  the  rude  words  of  the  sixteenth  century 
which  the  reader  can  supply  in  modern  cloak  from  any 
Divorce  Court  proceedings.  The  co-respondents  named 
are  Hen.  Noreys,  the  same  indiscreet  gentleman  who 
picked  up  the  handkerchief  at  Greenwich  ;  the  Queen's 
brother  Geo.  Boleyn,  lord  Rocheford,  gentleman  of  the 
privy  chamber  ;  Will.  Bryerton,  late  of  Westminster, 
gentleman  of  the  privy  chamber  ;  Sir  Francis  Weston 
of  Westminster,  gentleman  of  the  privy  chamber  ;  and 
Mark  Smeaton  of  the  privy  chamber. 

"  And  further  the  said  Queen,  and  those  other  traitors, 
31  Oct.  27  Henry  VHI,  at  Westminster  conspired  the 
death  and  destruction  of  the  King,  the  Queen  often 
saying  she  would  marry  one  of  them  as  soon  as  the 
King  died,  and  affirming  that  she  would  never  love  the 
King  in  her  heart.  And  the  King  having  a  short  time 
since  become  aware  of  the  said  abominable  crimes  and 
treasons  against  himself,  took  such  inward  displeasure 
and  heaviness,  especially  from  his  said  Queen's  malice 


126  THE  TOWER   FROM  WITHIN 

and  adultery  that  certain  harms  and  perils  have  befallen 
his  royal  body." 

All  of  which  is  very  sad  and  pathetic,  and  the  inward 
displeasure  and  heaviness,  which  introduced  certain 
harms  and  perils  into  the  royal  body,  no  doubt  have  our 
respectful  sympathy.  But  this  may  perhaps  be  some- 
what mitigated  when  we  are  faced  with  the  undoubted 
fact  that  the  royal  body  was  heartily  sick  of  the  lady,  and 
had  another  in  waiting  to  take  her  place.  Be  the  faults 
or  crimes  of  Anne  Boleyn  what  they  may,  she  was  un- 
doubtedly the  victim  of  a  judicial  murder  of  the  most 
callous  description  ;  hence  the  sympathy  of  the  ages  is 
with  her. 

At  the  preliminary  investigation  before  Sir  John 
Baldwin,  neither  was  the  Queen  present  herself,  nor  was 
she  represented  by  counsel.  The  witnesses  were  such  as 
you  may  read.  They  may  have  been  estimable  persons 
of  the  highest  integrity,  or  they  may  have  been  spies 
and  paid  informers,  or  domestic  servants,  or  professional 
expert  witnesses.  And  of  this  latter  class  a  judge  once 
opened  his  heart  "  there  are  liars,  damned  liars,  and 
expert  witnesses."  Or,  to  take  an  extreme  view,  this 
imposing  array  of  witnesses  may  not  have  existed  at  all. 

However,  with  this  indictment  drawn  up  by  Sir  John 
Baldwin  before  them  the  manuscript  continues : — 

"  And  afterwards  Monday  15  May,  1536,  Queen  Anne 
comes  to  the  bar  before  the  Lord  High  Steward^  in  the 
Tower  in  the  custody  of  Sir  Will.  Kingston  pleads  not 
guilty,  and  puts  herself  on  her  peers ;  whereupon  the 
said  Duke  of  Suffolk,  Marquis  of  Exeter  and  other  peers, ^ 
are  charged  by  the  High  Steward  to  say  the  truth  :  and 
being  examined  from  the  lowest  peer  to  the  highest  each 
of  them  severally  saith  that  she  is  guilty. 

"  Judgement  :  To  be  taken  to  prison  in  the  Tower  : 
and  then,  at  the  King's  command,  to  the  Green  within 

^  The  Duke  of  Norfolk,  uncle  to  Queen  Anne  Boleyn  on  her  mother's 
side. 
^2  There  were  twenty-six  peers,  entitled  "  lord  triers." 


THE  TWO  QUEENS  127 

the  Tower,  and  there  to  be  burned  or  beheaded  as  shall 
please  the  King." 

When  Queen  Anne  Boleyn  came  to  the  Tower  she 
came,  as  we  have  seen,  by  water  from  Greenwich  through 
the  Traitor's  Gate,  and  the  boat  tied  up  at  the  same  old 
ring  in  the  wall  which  still  exists  and  to  which  so  many 
boats  carrying  prisoners,  great  and  small,  both  before 
and  since,  have  been  made  fast.  Through  the  great 
gateway  with  its  portcullis,  to  this  day  in  working  order, 
raised  to  give  her  passage  she  ascended  to  the  Lieutenant's 
Lodgings.  Here  in  a  little  bedroom  facing  west  she  slept 
her  last  night  on  earth.  The  bedroom,  which  is  still 
preserved  much  as  she  left  it,  is  roughly  fourteen  feet 
square,  panelled  with  oak  throughout,  but  the  ceiling  is 
white.  It  is  a  low  room  only  eight  feet  high,  and  on  the 
west  side  is  a  large  open  fireplace,  and  close  by  it  a  small 
window  looking  out  on  to  the  prisoner's  walk,  now  known 
as  Princess  Ehzabeth's  Walk.  This,  as  has  been  mentioned, 
is  a  narrow  open  air  passage  which  passes  the  window 
running  between  the  wall  of  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings 
and  the  rampart,  and  extends  from  the  Bell  Tower  to 
the  Beauchamp  Tower.  On  the  stone  work  above  the 
fireplace,  roughly  and  not  very  deeply  engraved,  is  the 
word  "  ANNE." 

Whilst  in  this  little  chamber  Anne  Boleyn  wrote  a 
most  touching  letter  to  the  King,  which  was  afterwards 
found  in  the  portfolio  of  Thomas  Cromwell,  Earl  of 
Essex. 

"  Sir — Your  Grace's  displeasure  and  my  imprison- 
ment are  things  so  strange  unto  me  as  what  to  write  or 
what  to  excuse  I  am  altogether  ignorant. 

"  Whereas  you  send  unto  me  (willing  me  to  confess  a 
truth,  and  so  to  obtain  your  favour)  by  such  an  one 
whom  you  know  to  be  mine  antient  professed  enemy.  I 
no  sooner  conceived  this  message  by  him  than  I  rightly 
conceived  your  meaning  :  and  if,  as  you  say,  confessing 
a  truth  indeed  may  procure  my  safety,  I  shall  with  all 
willingness  and  duty  perform  your  command. 


128  THE  TOWER   FROM  WITHIN 

"  But  let  not  your  Grace  ever  imagine  that  your  poor 
wife  will  ever  be  brought  to  acknowledge  a  fault  where 
not  so  much  as  a  thought  thereof  proceeded.  And  to 
speak  a  truth,  never  prince  had  a  wife  more  loyal  in  all 
duty  and  in  all  true  affection,  than  you  have  ever  found 
in  Anne  Boleyn  ;  with  which  name  and  place  I  could 
willingly  have  contented  myself,  if  God  and  your 
Grace's  pleasure  had  been  so  pleased.  Neither  did  I  at 
any  time  so  far  forget  myself  in  my  exaltation  or  received 
queenship,  but  that  I  always  looked  for  such  an  alteration 
as  now  I  find  :  for  the  ground  of  my  preferment  being 
on  no  surer  foundation  than  your  Grace's  fancy,  the 
least  alteration,  I  knew,  was  fit  and  sufficient  to  draw 
that  fancy  to  some  other  subject.  You  have  chosen  me 
from  low  estate  to  be  your  queen  and  companion,  far 
beyond  my  desert  or  desire.  If  then  you  found  me  worthy 
of  such  honour,  good  your  Grace,  let  not  any  light 
fancy  or  bad  counsel  of  mine  enemies,  withdraw  your 
princely  favour  from  me  ;  neither  let  that  stain,  that 
unworthy  stain,  of  a  disloyal  heart  towards  your  good 
Grace,  ever  cast  so  foul  a  blot  on  your  most  dutiful  wife 
and  the  infant  princess  your  daughter. 

"  Try  me  good  King,  but  let  me  have  a  lawful  trial ; 
and  let  not  my  sworn  enemies  sit  as  my  accusers  and  my 
judges  ;  yea,  let  me  receive  an  open  trial,  for  my  truth 
shall  fear  no  open  shame.  Then  shall  you  see  either  my 
innocency  cleared,  your  suspicions  and  conscience  satis- 
fied, the  ignominy  and  slander  of  the  world  stopped,  or 
my  guilt  lawfully  declared  ;  so  that  whatsoever  God  or 
you  may  determine  of  me,  your  Grace  may  be  freed 
from  an  open  censure  ;  and  mine  offence  being  so  openly 
proved,  your  Grace  is  at  liberty,  both  before  God  and 
man,  not  only  to  execute  your  worthy  punishment  on 
me,  as  an  unlawful  wife,  but  to  follow  your  affection 
already  settled  on  that  party  for  whose  sake  I  am  now  as 
I  am,  whose  name  I  could  some  good  while  since  have 
pointed  unto  ;  your  Grace  not  being  ignorant  of  my 
suspicion  therein. 

"  But  if  you  have  already  determined  of  me  ;  and  that 


THE  TWO  QUEENS  129 

not  only  my  death,  but  an  infamous  slander,  must  bring 
you  the  joying  of  your  desired  happiness ;  then  I  desire 
of  God  that  He  will  pardon  your  great  sin  therein,  and 
likewise  mine  enemies,  the  instruments  thereof  ;  and 
that  He  will  not  call  you  to  a  straight  account  for  your 
unprincely  and  cruel  usage  of  me,  at  His  general  judg- 
ment seat,  where  both  you  and  myself  must  shortly 
appear  ;  and  in  whose  judgment  I  doubt  not,  whatever 
the  world  may  think  of  me,  mine  innocence  shall  be 
openly  known  and  sufficiently  cleared. 

"  My  last  and  only  request  shall  be,  that  myself  may 
only  bear  the  burden  of  your  Grace's  displeasure,  and 
that  it  may  not  touch  the  innocent  souls  of  those  poor 
gentlemen,  who,  as  I  understand,  are  likewise  in  straight 
imprisonment  for  my  sake.  H  ever  I  have  found  favour 
in  your  sight,  if  ever  the  name  of  Anne  Boleyn  hath  been 
pleasing  in  your  ears,  then  let  me  obtain  this  request ; 
and  I  will  so  leave  to  trouble  your  Grace  any  further  ; 
with  mine  earnest  prayers  to  the  Trinity  to  have  your 
Grace  in  His  good  keeping,  and  to  direct  you  in  all  your 
actions.  From  my  doleful  prison  in  the  Tower,  this 
6th  of  May.    Your  most  loyal  and  ever  faithful  wife, 

"  Anne  Boleyn." 

It  is  generally  accepted  that  this  letter  never  reached 
the  King,  and  perhaps  it  was  not  an  altogether  unfriendly 
hand  that  withheld  it.  From  what  we  know  of  Henry 
Vni's  character  it  may  with  fair  certainty  be  assumed 
that  it  would  have  had  far  from  a  soothing  effect  on  him, 
and  might  have  weighed  the  beam  in  the  wrong  direction. 
As  events  proved  it  would  not  have  mattered  one  way  or 
another  whether  the  letter  had  been  delivered  or  not ; 
the  Queen  was  doomed  and  the  King  only  impatient  to 
replace  her  by  a  new  fancy. 

Anne  Boleyn  also  made  vain  endeavours  to  see  the 
King,  feeling  confident  that  she  could  at  once  disarm 
his  suspicions.  To  the  last  she  did  not  give  up  the  hope 
that  she  might  be  allowed  to  retire  to  a  nunnery,  or  at 
most  be  sentenced  to  suffer  banishment. 


130  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Her  demeanour  at  the  trial  was  in  all  respects  dignified 
and  beautiful.  She  went  through  this  ordeal  in  one  of 
the  great  halls  of  the  Tower  which  was  fitted  up  as  a 
Court  of  Justice.  A  series  of  wooden  stands  were  therein 
erected  for  the  accommodation  of  the  officials  ;  whilst 
at  the  farther  end  of  the  hall  was  a  platform  on  which 
was  a  chair  of  State  covered  with  purple  velvet,  on 
which  the  accused  Queen  sat.  In  a  gallery  sat  the  judges 
in  their  robes,  as  well  as  the  Lord  Mayor  and  Sheriffs  of 
London,  also  in  their  official  robes.  With  these  sat  four 
citizens  from  each  of  the  twelve  principal  merchant 
companies.  The  Lord  High  Steward,  the  Duke  of 
Norfolk,  sat  under  a  cloth  of  State,  supported  by  his 
son,  the  young  Earl  of  Surrey,  who  acted  as  Deputy 
Earl  Marshal,  bearing  his  wand  of  office.  A  large 
number  of  spectators  were  also  present,  and  we  read 
that  amongst  them  were  Mrs.  Orchard,  the  Queen's 
nurse,  and  her  old  friend  and  retainer  Mrs.  Margaret 
Lee,  who  was  "  at  a  small  window  peeping  into  the  haU 
heartily." 

On  the  Court  being  declared  open,  a  gentleman  usher 
called  for  "  Anne  Boleyn."  The  Queen  forthvidth 
entered,  having  on  the  one  side  of  her  Sir  William 
Kingston  the  Constable  of  the  Tower,  and  on  the  other 
Sir  Edward  Walsingham  the  Lieutenant,  whilst  behind 
her  followed  the  ladies  in  attendance.  She  wore  a  robe 
of  black  velvet  over  a  petticoat  of  scarlet  brocade,  and 
on  her  head  was  a  small  cap,  on  which  was  fastened  a 
black  and  white  feather.  Thus  robed  and  attended,  she 
moved  with  great  grace  and  dignity  to  her  appointed 
place,  and  bowing  gravely  to  the  Court,  took  her  seat  on 
the  State  chair  or  throne.  The  indictment  was  read  out, 
and  then  Thomas  Cromwell,  Earl  of  Essex,  and  Sir 
Christopher  Hales  spoke  for  the  prosecution.  But  no 
v^dtnesses  were  called.  The  Queen  who  was  allowed  no 
counsel  pleaded  "  not  guilty,"  and  defended  herself  in 
a  few  weU  chosen  words.  These  made  so  profound  an 
impression  on  the  audience,  that  when  in  spite  of  them 
she    was    finaUv    condemned    there    was    considerable 


THE  TWO  QUEENS  131 

murmuring,  and  the  Duke  of  Norfolk  who  passed  sentence 
wept  so  "  that  the  water  roune  in  his  eyes." 

There  was  indeed  considerable  confusion,  but  the 
Queen  alone  remained  unmoved,  and  according  to  Sir 
John  Allen,  the  Lord  Mayor,  never  had  man  or  woman 
behaved  with  greater  courage  under  such  appaUing 
circumstances.  Dignified  as  had  been  her  entrance  into 
the  hall  of  trial,  her  demeanour  and  bearing  on  her 
departure  was  little  short  of  heroic.  Her  face  was 
deadly  pale,  but  her  steps  never  faltered,  nor  her  eyes 
quivered,  as  she  slowly  made  her  way  between  the  Con- 
stable and  his  Lieutenant,  and  followed  by  her  ladies, 
to  her  apartments  in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings. 

The  date  of  the  execution  was  fixed  for  May  i8th, 
only  sixteen  short  days  from  the  Queen's  arrest  at  Green- 
wich. At  her  special  request  she  was  to  be  executed 
with  a  sword  instead  of  with  the  axe  generally  used  ;  and 
she  further  petitioned  that  an  executioner  skilled  in  the 
use  of  the  sword  might  be  brought  over  from  France,  a 
request  which  was  also  granted.  But  the  poor  lady's 
anxiety  and  suspense  were  not  yet  over.  On  the  night 
of  the  17th  the  Queen  ate  a  hearty  supper  and  was  un- 
usually "  merry."  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the 
1 8th,  after  a  brief  slumber  she  rose,  dressed  herself 
hastily,  and  passed  into  her  oratory  where  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  was  exposed.  There  she  found  her  confessor, 
Father  Thirlwall,  a  Franciscan  Friar,  with  whom  she 
spent  some  hours  in  prayer.  She  then  heard  three 
masses,  at  the  last  of  which  she  received  communion. 
Before  this  final  rite  she  had  summoned  Sir  William 
Kingston  into  the  room,  and  there,  in  the  presence  of 
the  Host,  protested  her  innocence  before  God,  and 
"  begged  the  Constable  to  be  witness  of  her  solemn 
asseveration."  She  made  the  same  solemn  declaration 
to  Lady  Kingston,  the  wife  of  the  Constable,  praying 
that  lady  to  be  seated  whilst  she  knelt  before  her. 

As  the  morning  wore  on,  and  no  summons  to  execution 
arriving,  she  sent  for  the  Constable  and  asked  the  reason 
for  this  delay.    The  Constable  did  not  know,  but  would 


132  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

enquire ;  and  later  was  able  to  inform  the  waiting  lady, 
that  the  agony  of  her  suspense  must  be  stretched  for 
another  twenty-four  hours.  That  was  indeed  a  cruel 
thrust  ;  but  historians  are  agreed  that  it  was  not  inten- 
tionally so,  and  some  give  one  good  reason,  and  some 
another.  Possibly  the  true  cause  was  either  the  late 
arrival  of  the  executioner  from  Calais,  or  possibly  the 
non-completion  of  his  costume.  For  it  is  on  record  that 
this  costume  was  made  in  London,  the  bill  for  the  same 
being  still  preserved  in  the  Record  Office.  The  French 
executioner's  costume  consisted  of  a  tight-fitting  black 
suit,  a  half-mask  hiding  the  upper  part  of  the  face  ;  and 
a  high  horn-shaped  cap,  also  black.  The  bill  paid  "  to 
the  executioner  of  Calays  for  his  reward  and  apparail  " 
was  one  hundred  French  crowns,  or  j/^23  6s.  8d.  of 
English  money. 

Another  day  and  night  of  prayer,  and  waiting  for  the 
inevitable,  passed,  till  early  on  the  morning  of  Friday, 
May  1 9th,  the  Constable  came  to  the  Queen  and  warned 
her  to  be  prepared  for  her  end.  At  the  same  time  he 
placed  in  her  hands  ^20  to  be  distributed  between  the 
headsman  and  his  assistants,  as  was  the  custom  of  the 
day.  Just  before  eight  o'clock  the  Constable  again 
knocked  at  the  door,  and  announced  that  all  was  now 
ready.  It  is  but  a  few  yards  from  the  door  of  the 
Lieutenant's  Lodgings  to  the  scaffold,  but  in  this  hmited 
space  was  found  room  for  an  imposing  procession.  First 
came  two  hundred  Yeomen  of  the  Guard,  dressed  much 
as  they  are  to  this  day,  with  their  halberds.  Next  came 
the  executioner  with  his  sword.  Then  a  group  of 
officials  marching  in  front  of  Sir  Wilham  Kingston  the 
Constable  ;  behind  the  Constable  walked  Queen  Anne 
Boleyn  accompanied  by  her  ladies  and  Father  Thirlwall. 

The  Queen  was  dressed  in  a  loose  robe  of  grey  damask, 
over  an  underskirt  of  red.  Round  her  neck  was  a  deep 
white  collar  fringed  with  ermine  ;  her  splendid  black 
hair  was  hidden  by  a  small  black  cap  or  hat.  Under  this 
she  wore  a  white  coif.  At  her  girdle  hung  a  gold  chain 
and  cross.     It  was  observed  that  she  looked  extremely 


THE  TWO  QUEENS  133 

handsome  ;  her  usually  pale  cheeks  were  flushed  with  a 
hectic  colour,  and  her  beautiful  black  eyes,  though 
reddened  with  weeping,  shone  with  extraordinary  bril- 
liancy. Her  step  was  firm,  even  elastic  ;  but  it  was 
noticed  she  looked  back  constantly,  as  if  she  sought  some 
one  in  the  crowd ;  or  perhaps  with  a  last  dying  hope 
that  a  reprieve  might  arrive. 

The  scaffold,  the  site  of  which  is  now  marked  by  a 
brass  plate,  was  about  five  feet  high,  so  that  the  execu- 
tion might  be  in  the  view  of  all.  Facing  it  was  a  raised 
tribunal,  on  which  was  enthroned  the  Duke  of  Norfolk 
as  Lord  High  Steward,  now  apparently  recovered  from 
his  emotion,  and  prepared  heroically  to  see  his  niece 
die  ;  and  seated  at  his  feet  the  young  Earl  of  Surrey. 
Other  occupants  of  the  tribunal  were  Charles  Brand, 
Duke  of  Suffolk  ;  the  young  Duke  of  Richmond,  the 
King's  illegitimate  son,  a  handsome  boy  of  seventeen  ; 
Thomas  Cromwell,  Earl  of  Essex  ;  Chancellor  Audley  ; 
Master  Rich,  and  a  few  other  officials.  To  the  right  of 
the  scaff'old  stood  the  Lord  Mayor  and  several  Aldermen 
of  London,  also  a  group  of  merchants  from  the  city,  and 
several  foreigners  of  distinction.  From  a  neighbouring 
window  Sir  Thomas  Wyat,  who  was  also  a  prisoner,  and 
the  old  nurse  Mary  Orchard,  were  allowed  a  distant 
view  of  the  distressing  scene. 

Just  before  the  procession  reached  the  place  of  execu- 
tion, the  prisoner  was  handed  over  by  the  Constable  to 
the  Sheriff's  of  London  and  Middlesex,  whose  duty  it 
became  to  see  the  matter  through.  It  was  now  six 
minutes  past  eight,  and  the  sun  shone  brightly.  The 
Queen  took  a  final  leave  of  her  women,  clasping  each  to 
her  heart,  kissing  them,  and  imploring  them  not  to  give 
way  to  grief,  but  to  be  brave  for  her  sake,  till  all  was 
over.  She  gave  her  prayer  book  to  Mrs.  Lee,  and  was 
observed  whispering  very  earnestly  for  some  seconds  to 
this  faithful  friend.  She  was  probably  telling  her  to 
give  the  book  to  Sir  Thomas  Wyat,  for  it  remained 
with  his  descendants  for  many  generations. 

Sir    William    Kingston    then    helped   the    Queen   to 


174  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

mount  the  scaffold.  At  first  she  seemed  confused  and 
dazed,  and  looked  round  at  the  upturned  faces  with  an 
air  of  bewilderment.  But  she  quickly  regained  her  self- 
possession,  and  following  the  custom  in  like  cases,  made 
a  brief  statement  to  the  assembled  people.  Her  words 
are  described  as  short,  terse,  and  sensible,  pronounced  in 
a  clear  and  unfaltering  voice,  so  that  even  those  farthest 
removed  could  hear  her.  She  solemnly  declared  her 
entire  innocence  of  the  dreadful  charges  brought  against 
her.  She  declared  that  she  had  always  been  a  true  wife 
to  the  King,  and  asked  that  posterity  might  do  her  the 
simple  justice  of  believing  words  spoken  thus  on  the 
threshold  of  eternity.  Having  concluded  this  little 
speech  she  asked  all  present  to  pray  for  her,  at  this  last 
moment  when  she  was  about  to  appear  before  her 
Creator  and  Judge.  Her  own  httle  prayer  distinctly 
audible  was  "  Mother  of  God  !  pray  for  me  !  Lord 
Jesus  !    receive  my  soul !  " 

The  sun  shone  on  the  bright  uniforms  of  the  yeomen 
of  the  guard,  the  rich  robes  of  the  peers,  on  the  white 
upturned  faces,  on  the  black  and  forbidding  scaffold  and 
on  the  fair  lady  who  stood  on  it.  A  breathless  silence 
reigned  over  the  solemn  scene.  Even  the  ravens  of  the 
Tower  sat  silent  and  immovable  on  the  battlements  and 
gazed  eerily  at  the  strange  scene.  A  Queen  about  to 
die  !    For  what  ? 

Mistress  Lee  now  approached  the  Queen,  and  re- 
moved her  ermine  cape,  and  handed  her  a  white  linen 
cap.  The  Queen  herself  removed  her  head-dress,  and 
coiled  her  hair  under  this  cap.  The  collar  of  her  dress 
was  then  lowered  so  as  to  bare  her  neck  for  the  stroke 
that  was  to  come.  Then  again  and  for  the  last  time  she 
knelt  in  prayer,  and  the  Lord  Mayor,  who  was  a  decent 
Knight,  knelt  too,  and  all  followed  his  example  save  only 
the  Dukes  of  Suffolk  and  Richmond,  Cranmer  and  some 
other  officials,  though  these  had  the  decency  to  stand 
up.  It  was  a  short  but  earnest  prayer,  and  we  may  feel 
sure  reached  High  Heaven  along  that  shaft  of  light  the 
fluttering  soul  would  so  soon  follow.     The  Queen  then 


THE  TWO  QUEENS  135 

rose,  and  gave  to  Mistress  Lee  her  last  kiss  on  earth  ; 
and  by  that  good  woman  were  her  eyes  bound  with  a 
Hnen  handkerchief.  Sir  Edward  Walsingham,  the 
Lieutenant,  then  led  her  by  the  hand  close  to  the  block, 
and  reaching  it  she  immediately  knelt  down,  softly 
murmuring,  "  In  manus  tuas,  Domine.  (Into  thy  hands 
O  Lord  !)  "  Behind  her  the  ladies  of  her  retinue  re- 
mained kneeling,  and  silently  weeping. 

The  French  executioner,  who  with  commendable 
delicacy  had  remained  in  the  background,  his  sword 
hidden  under  the  straw  with  which  the  scaffold  was 
thickly  strewn,  now  seized  his  weapon,  and  slipping  off 
his  shoes,  swiftly  approached.  Under  his  instructions 
the  English  assistant  who  was  on  the  other  side  then 
made  an  audible  movement  which  caused  the  Queen 
instinctively  to  turn  her  head  in  that  direction.  In  a 
flash  the  executioner  seized  his  opportunity,  and  what 
was  a  moment  before  Queen  Anne  Boleyn,  lay  a  huddled 
heap  of  blood-drenched  clothes.  So  swift  and  clean  was 
the  stroke,  that  when  the  executioner,  as  in  duty  bound, 
held  up  the  head,  so  that  all  might  see,  the  eyes  were 
still  moving,  the  hps  still  framing  that  last  httle  prayer. 
No  wonder  women  fainted,  and  men  were  sick  with 
horror. 

The  crowd  silently  and  sorrowfully  dispersed,  and  the 
dead  Queen  was  left  with  her  women,  and  the  holy  men 
of  her  choice.  And  then  happened  a  curious  thing. 
Though  great  preparations  had  been  made  for  so  impor- 
tant and  unique  an  event  as  the  execution  of  a  Queen,  and 
though  an  executioner  had  been  specially  brought  from 
France  for  the  occasion,  it  had  occurred  to  no  one  to 
prepare  a  cofhn.  The  distracted  ladies  looking  around 
for  some  decent  casket  in  which  to  place  the  remains 
of  their  dear  mistress,  could  find  none.  Then  some 
kindly  yeoman  warder,  noticing  their  distress,  hastily 
procured  an  old  arrow  chest  from  the  neighbouring 
armoury.  In  this  arrow  chest  Mistress  Lee  placed  the 
dead  Queen's  head  wrapped  in  a  kerchief,  whilst  three 
other  ladies,  "sobbing  woefully,"  Hfted  the  body  into 


136  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

the  same  humble  casket.  The  Hd  was  fastened  down, 
and  the  rude  coffin  was  borne  into  the  Chapel  of  St. 
Peter  ad  Vincula,  and  there  hastily  and  lightly  buried 
before  the  altar. 

As  we  stand  on  the  "  saddest  spot  on  earth  "  and  look 
towards  the  altar  we  can  see  in  the  floor  near  the  left- 
hand  corner  of  the  altar,  a  hexagonal  marble  flagstone 
on  which  another  Queen,  three  hundred  and  forty  years 
after,  inscribed  "  Queen  Anne  Boleyn." 

It  is  now  nearly  four  hundred  years  since  that  brief 
gay  life  ended  under  the  shadow  'of  the  old  Tower,  for 
nearly  four  hundred  years  that  tormented  soul  has  rested 
in  peace.    Let  her  own  little  verse  remain  her  lullaby  : 

"  Oh  Death  !   rock  me  to  sleep 
|!     Bring  on  my  quiet  rest, 
■  Let  pass  my  very  guiltless  ghost 
Out  of  my  careful  breast." 


For  his  fifth  wife  Henry  VIII  took  Katherine  Howard, 
the  daughter  of  Lord  Edmund  HoM^ard,  a  young  woman 
of  twenty-one  years.  Henry  VIII  was  now  fifty-one, 
but  looking  much  older,  "  corpulent  and  fat  "  ;  and  had 
just  satisfactorily  pensioned  oft"  this  fourth  wife,  Anne 
of  Cleves.  This  highly  unprepossessing  princess,  married 
chiefly  if  not  solely  for  political  reasons,  after  sharing 
the  King's  throne  and  couch  for  a  few  months  returned, 
as  she  came,  a  maid,  to  pensioned  security  and  oblivion. 
Henry  with  well  staged  reluctance,  yet  with  remarkable 
promptness  again  placed  his  head  under  what  he  was 
wont,  in  moments  of  pessimism,  to  term  the  yoke.  Thus 
observing  "  a  notable  appearance  of  honour,  cleanness 
(apparently  in  welcome  contrast  to  his  late  consort),  and 
maidenly  behaviour,  i,n  Mistress  Catherine  Howard,  his 
Highnesse  was  finally  contented  to  honour  that  lady 
with  his  marriage,  thinking  in  his  old  days,  after  sundry 
troubles  of  mind  which  has  happened  to  him  by  marriage, 
to  have  obtained  such  a  jewel  for  woman  hood  and  very 
perfect  love  towards  him  as  should  not  only  have  been 


W*' 


QUEEN    KATIIERINE    HOWARD 

[From  the  liritish  MmeuwX 


THE  TWO  QUEENS  137 

to  his  quietness,  but  also  have  brought  forth  the  desired 
fruits  of  marriage. "1 

The  marriage  was  not  an  unhappy  one  ;  but  after  it 
had  lasted  for  only  thirteen  months  the  familiar  cloud 
arose.  When  such  untoward  happenings  occur  once,  or 
even  twice,  in  a  lifetime,  they  may  or  may  not  be  accepted. 
But  when  the  fifth  matrimonial  venture  of  the  same  man, 
be  he  a  king  or  a  peasant,  turns  to  disaster,  a  spirit  of 
scepticism  must  perforce  arise  in  the  mind  of  the  least 
critical.  To  the  ordinary  observer  it  transcends  belief 
that  any  woman  thus  lately  raised  to  regal  rank  could  be 
so  injudicious,  in  order  to  please  a  passing  fancy,  to  risk 
a  sure  catastrophe.  Had  she  any  doubts  on  the  subject 
she  had  only  to  remember  the  fate  of  those  who  went 
before  her.  There  seems  to  have  been  so  painful  an 
atmosphere  of  intrigue  and  malicious  dealing  about  this 
whole  epoch,  such  plots  to  make  marriages  and  counter- 
plots to  undo  them,  that  one  approaches  this  fresh 
matrimonial  episode  with  some  misgiving.  However, 
here  is  the  story  of  the  climax,  and  how  it  arose. 

During  the  King's  absence  on  his  northern  tour  a 
pernicious  person  named  Lascelles,  by  Froude  styled  a 
gentleman,  came  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and 
like  the  low  cur  he  undoubtedly  was,  recounted  to  him  a 
story  he  had  heard  from  his  sister.  This  virtuous  lady 
declared  to  her  brother,  that  she  would  not  take  service 
with  Queen  Katherine,  because  she  knew  she  had  mis- 
conducted herself  before  marriage  with  two  gentlemen, 
one  named  Francis  Derham  and  the  other  Mannock. 
The  Archbishop  instead  of  behaving  like  a  sensible  person, 
and  instructing  a  flunkey  'carefully  to  kick  Mr.  Lascelles 
into  the  river,  got  into  a  fluster,  and  went  babbling  the 
story  about.  First  confiding  it  to  the  Chancellor,  and 
then  to  Lord  Flertford,  and  would  have  proceeded  doubt- 
less to  a  dozen  more  Councillors,  had  they  happened  to 
be  in  town.  1  he  Chancellor  and  Lord  Hertford  in  their 
turn,  instead  of  putting  the  Archbishop  straight,  and 
advising  him  to  observe  the  rules  of  Christian  charity, 

^  Acts  of  the  Privy  Council. 


138  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

and  the  discretion  a  prelate  of  his  standing  might  well 
possess,  jumped  at  the  new  scandal,  and  advised  him  to 
tell  the  King. 

The    Archbishop    professed    some    diffidence,    being 
not   quite  sure   enough   of    the    grounds   he   stood    on 
to  appreciate   the  honour   of   making   a  personal  state- 
ment  of   this   character   to   so    formidable    a    monarch 
and  husband  as  Henry  VIII.     He  decided  therefore  to 
communicate  the  matter  hy  letter.    This  he  accordingly 
did,  and  we  are  invited  to  believe  that  the  King  received 
the    letter    with    utter    incredulity.      That    is    perhaps 
stretching  the  credulity  of  this  critical  and  practical  age 
to   a   dangerous   extent.      Knowing  the  times   and  the 
people  concerned,  whether  kings,  prelates,  or  ministers, 
it  would  seem  inconceivable  that  such  a  letter  would  be 
written  on  such  flimsy  premises,  unless  it  was  fairly  well 
assured  beforehand  that  the  despotic  monarch  to  whom 
it  was  addressed  would  be  not  altogether  displeased  to 
receive  it.     The   further  exploitation  of  the  case  still 
further  confirms  such  a  premise.    Henry  VIII,  instead  of 
keeping  the  matter  to  himself,  as  most  sensible  men  in 
his  position  would,  immediately  handed  the  letter  round 
to  all  the  ministers  who  happened  to  be  present  ;    and 
Lord  Southampton  was   forthwith  sent  to  London  to 
interview  the  informant  Lascelles. 

Meanwhile  Derham  and  Mannock^  were  arrested  on 
the  picturesque  charge  of  piracy  on  the  Irish  Seas. 
LasceUes  adhered  to  his  story,  as  undoubtedly  he  had  to, 
or  swing  for  a  Har.  And  the  two  "  pirates,"  whether 
under  persuasion,  physical,  moral,  or  pecuniary,  or 
whether  cajoled  by  subtle  appeals  to  their  vanity, 
admitted  the  soft  impeachment.  Truly  those  were 
days  far  removed  from  the  old  knightly  code  of  honour  ! 
We  may  pass  over  the  nauseous  scene  of  the  reception 
by  the  monarch  of  many  wives,  of  Lord  Southampton's 
report  on  the  unworthiness  of  his  fifth  queen.  But  the 
case  was  not  strong  enough  yet  for  pubHc  consumption  ; 

'  Davey  gives  the  names  of  the  culprits  as  Derham,  Culpepper,  and 
Damport. 


THE  TWO  QUEENS  139 

the  good  people  of  England  were  becoming  somewhat 
sceptical  about  their  sovereign's  matrimonial  affairs. 
Moreover,  what  a  lady  does,  or  does  not  do,  before 
marriage,  short  of  contracting  a  previous  alliance,  does 
not  affect  the  legality  of  the  later  contract.  But  wit- 
nesses could  be  bought  in  England  in  those  days  as  easily 
as  they  can  be  bought  in  Germany  or  the  Far  East  in  this 
year  of  grace,  more  especially  when  it  was  a  high  potentate 
who  required  them.  Therefore  it  is  in  no  way  surprising 
that  witnesses  came  forward  to  assert  that  the  Queen's 
conduct  had  been  as  free  after  marriage  as  before.  This 
is  not  a  treatise  on  morals  and  marriage,  but  it  must 
strike  the  most  superficial  student  of  human  nature  that 
it  is  passing  strange  that  two  young  women  raised  from 
comparatively  low  degree  to  the  same  regal  throne 
should,  even  before  the  novelty  of  this  great  position  had 
worn  off,  be  guilty  of  behaviour  which  meant  not  only 
the  loss  of  all,  but  an  ignominious  death  on  the  scaffold. 

Two  of  the  gentlemen  who  had  claimed  familiar  rela- 
tions with  the  Queen  were  hanged,  as  they  richly  deserved ; 
and  the  Queen  herself  together  with  Lady  Rochfort, 
who  was  said  to  be  her  confederate,  were  removed  as 
State  prisoners  to  Sion  House.  Here  they  remained  for 
three  months  whilst  the  case  was  being  worked  up 
against  them,  and  a  bill  of  attainder  passed  through 
Parliament.  Both  Houses  of  Parliament,  with  due 
servility,  passed  these  curious  resolutions,  which  read 
much  like  valetudinarian  prescriptions,  for  the  King's 
favourable  consideration. 

"  First  that  he  would  not  vexe  himself  with  the 
Queene's  offence,  and  that  she  and  Lady  Rochford 
might  be  attainted  by  Parhament.  Secondly,  and 
because  protractynge  of  tyme,  which  the  more  should 
be  to  his  unquietnesse,  that  he  would  under  his  great 
scale  give  his  royall  assent,  without  tarrying  the  ende  of 
the  Parliament." 

The  Privy  Council  also  hurried  the  matter  through, 
not  from  any  consideration  one  way  or  the  other  for  the 
wretched    lady   who    lay    in    prison,    under    the    direst 


HO  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

suspense  ;  but  in  consideration  of  "  the  case  the  King 
was  in,  by  the  Queen's  ill-carriage,"  and  incidentally  it 
may  be  inferred  to  remove  the  existing  obstacle  in  the 
way  of  his  obtaining  his  sixth  wife.  The  Bill  was  hastened 
through  both  Houses,  and  the  Chancellor  brought  it 
down  already  signed  by  the  King,  and  with  the  Great 
Seal  attached,  so  that  there  should  be  no  delay. 

Lady  Rochford  who  was  to  suffer  with  the  Queen  was 
far  from  being  a  blameless  lady.  It  was  through  her 
testimony,  generally  believed  to  be  false,  that  her  husband 
George  Boleyn,  Viscount  Rochford,  brother  of  Anne 
Boleyn,  had  come  to  the  scaffold.  On  the  present  occa- 
sion her  crime  as  stated  was  that  she  had  aided  and 
abetted  Queen  Katherine  in  her  froward  conduct.  Lady 
Rochford  was  taken  to  the  Tower  on  February  9th,  and 
on  the  following  day  "  the  Queene  was  had  by  water 
from  Syon  to  the  Tower  of  London,  the  Duke  of 
Suffolke,  the  Lord  Privie  Scale,  and  the  Lord  Chamber- 
layne,  havinge  the  conveyance  of  her."^  She  was  prob- 
ably accommodated  in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings,  as 
had  been  Queen  Anne  Boleyn,  and  the  execution 
was  fixed  for  February  13th,  1542. 

No  official  records  can  be  traced,  either  of  this  short 
imprisonment,  or  of  the  execution  of  the  Queen  ;  these 
evidently  having  been  destroyed  for  good  and  sufficient 
reasons.  The  whole  matter  was  evidently  rushed 
through  as  rapidly  as  possible  and  kept  as  quiet  as  could 
be,  for  fear  of  outraging  public  sentiment.  There  were 
few  witnesses,  and  these  all  held  their  tongues,  and 
restrained  their  pens.  The  scaffold  was  however  we 
know,  put  up  on  Tower  Green,  on  the  same  spot  where 
Queen  Anne  Boleyn  was  beheaded.  By  chance,  however, 
or  by  order,  a  merchant  of  London  named  Otwell 
Johnson  was  present,  and  writing  to  his  brother  at  Calais, 
which  perhaps  accounts  for  its  escaping  the  censorship, 
gave  the  following  account  of  the  execution  :^ 

"  From  Calleis  I  have  harde  nothing  as  yet  of  your 

*  Wrottesley's  Chronicle.  *  Ellis's  Orig.  Letters. 


THE  TWO  QUEENS  141 

sute  to  my  Lord  Gray  ;  and  for  news  from  hens,  know 
ye,  that  even,  according  to  my  writing  on  Sonday  last, 
I  se  the  Quene  and  the  Lady  Rotcheford  suffer  within 
the  Tower  the  day  following,  whos  sowles  (I  doubt  not) 
be  with  God,  for  they  made  the  moost  godly  and  chris- 
tyan's  end,  that  ever  was  hard  tell  of  (I  thinke)  sins  the 
world's  creation  :  uttering  thayer  lively  faeth  in  the 
blode  of  Christe  onely,  and  with  goodly  words  and  sted- 
fast  countenances  thay  desyred  all  christen  people  to 
take  regard  unto  thayer  worthy  and  just  punishment  with 
death  for  thayer  offences,  and  agenst  God,  hainously 
from  thayer  youth  upward,  in  breaking  all  his  com- 
m.andements,  and  also  agenst  the  King's  royall  majesty 
very  dangeriously  :  wherfor  they  being  just  condempned 
(as  thay  sayed)  by  the  lawes  of  the  realme  and  parlement, 
to  dye,  required  the  people  (I  say)  to  take  example  at 
them,  for  amendement  of  thayer  ungodly  lyves,  and 
gladdly  to  obey  the  King  in  all  things,  for  whos  preserva- 
tion thay  did  hartely  pray  :  and  willed  all  people  so  to 
do  :  commending  thayer  sowles  to  God  and  ernestly 
calling  for  mercy  upon  him  ;  whom  I  besieche  to  geve 
us  grace,  with  suche  faeth  hope  and  charitie  at  our 
departing  owt  of  this  miserable  world  to  come  to  the 
fruytion  of  his  Godhead  in  joy  everlasting." 

Little  did  honest  Otwell  Johnson  know  what  an 
historic  letter  he  was  writing  to  his  brother,  in  that  far- 
off  day  nearly  four  centuries  ago ;  for  it  seems  to  be  the 
sole  remaining  record  of  one  of  the  most  tragic  stories 
of  the  Tower. 

The  Grey  Friars  Chronicle  gives  this  brief  account  : 

"  The  xiij  day  February  was  the  Qwene  Kateryne  and 
Lady  Rocheford  beheddyd  within  the  Tower  &  there 
burryd." 

Queen  Katherine  Howard  and  Lady  Rochford  were 
buried  both  before  the  high  altar  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula, 
where  their  resting  place  may  be  seen  marked  as  is  that 
of  Queen  Anne  Boleyn.     And  the  King  who  had  thus 


142  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

laid  them  low  went  forth  to  his  new  nuptials.  In 
heaven,  as  we  know  on  the  highest  authority,  there  is 
neither  marrying  nor  giving  in  marriage,  but  still  the 
meeting  of  Henry  VIII  with  his  six  wives  must  have  been 
a  unique  occasion,  even  in  the  experiences  of  the  heavenly 
host.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  in  the  scale  of  divine  com- 
pensations the  tyrant  on  earth  felt  the  full  force  of  the 
tyranny  of  the  six  in  the  regions  above. 


EDWARD    SKYMOUK.    DUKP:    OV    SOMERSF.T 
THK    I.ORU    PROTECTOR 


X 

THE  TWO  DUKES 

"  Between  two  Queens  "—The  Duke  of  Somerset,  Lord  Protector 
— Guardian  of  the  boy  King — The  boy  King's  admiration  for 
John  Dudley — The  latter's  ambitions — Trial  of  the  Duke  of 
Somerset— The  boy  King's  diary— The  Duke's  popularity — 
Trial — Found  guilty  of  felony — His  execution  ordered  on 
Tower  Hill — A  reprieve  ? — Disappointment — His  last  words 
— Buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula — The  Duke  of  Northumber- 
land—Proclaims Lady  Jane  Grey  Queen— Defeated  near 
Cambridge — Lodged  in  the  Tower — His  trial  for  rebellion — 
Sentenced  to  death — His  renunciation — The  day  of  execution 
— Speech  from  the  scaffold — Buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula — 
Next  the  Duke  of  Somerset. 

Edward  Seymour,  Duke  of  Somerset 

{b. ;   d.  January  22nd,  1552) 

John  Dudley,  Duke  of  Northumberland 
{b.  1502  ;    d.  August  22iid,  1553) 

"  T^ETWEEN  the  two  Queens,  before  the  high 
■    ^   altar,  he  buried  two  Dukes." 
I    ^       And  so  they    lay   for  many  centuries  till 
M     ^  their    sepulchre    was     forgotten,    and    their 
resting    place    disturbed    by    less    distinguished    bones. 
The  two  Dukes  were  Edward  Seymour,  Duke  of  Somer- 
set, and  John  Dudley,  Duke  of  Northumberland  ;    and 
the  two  Queens  between  whom  they  lay  were  Queen 
Anne  Boleyn  and  Queen  Katherine  Howard.    The  two 
Dukes  no  longer  he  exactly  thus,  but  still  within  a  few 
feet  of  each  other,  and  looking  over  the  ramparts  of 
heaven   they   must    often   have   smiled    at    their   silent 
neighbourhood,  for  on  this  plain  below  they  had  been 
deadly  rivals.     It  was  during  the  brief  reign  of  the  boy 

143 


144  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

King  Edward  VI  that  these  two  great  adventurers 
fought  their  duel  for  sovereignty  to  the  bloody  end,  and 
one  went  down  then,  and  one  later. 

Both  Edward  Seymour  and  John  Dudley  were  amongst 
the  executors  and  guardians  named  in  the  will  of  Henry 
VIII  to  take  charge  of  his  son  Edward  VI,  and  of  the 
kingdom,  during  his  minority.  But  amongst  these  at 
first,  at  any  rate,  the  whole  power  was  concentrated  in 
the  hands  of  Somerset,  who  by  virtue  of  being  uncle  to 
the  King  took  a  commanding  position  and  secured  the 
title  of  Lord  Protector.  Yet  not  far  behind,  running  a 
waiting  race  was  Sir  John  Dudley,  now  Earl  of  Warwick, 
and  later  Duke  of  Northumberland.  Somerset,  according 
to  the  standard  of  that  age,  was  a  kind,  just,  and  benevo- 
lent regent ;  beloved  of  the  people,  and  void  of  religious 
intolerance.  But  he  possessed  the  puritanical  strain 
which  makes  life  grievous  to  a  boy,  and  led  him  to  lay  a 
man's  strain  and  restraint  on  a  sickly  child  ;  one  who 
wanted  rather  to  play  and  be  merry  like  other  children. 
Probably  the  boy  King  frankly  disliked  his  conscientious 
and  worthy  uncle,  much  as  other  boys  generically  dis- 
approve of  their  guardians  and  tutors.  In  strong  con- 
trast came  the  gallant  and  distinguished  soldier  and  sailor, 
who  had  been  knighted  on  the  field  of  battle  in  France  ; 
had  carried  out  a  very  brave  defence  of  Boulogne  against 
50,000  Frenchmen.  Who  had  performed  valiant  deeds 
in  the  battle  of  Musselborough,  and  as  Lord  High 
Admiral  had  gained  renown  in  command  of  English 
fleets.  He  was  fine,  and  kind,  and  debonair  with 
the  boy ;  and  the  boy  liked  him  better  than  uncle 
Somerset. 

Had  John  Dudley  remained  at  that,  a  distinguished 
warrior  and  plenipotentiary,  he  would  probably  have 
escaped  the  block,  and  certainly  have  lived  in  history  as 
an  entirely  desirable  person.  But  Hke  nearly  all  who 
rose  to  eminence  in  those  days  he  was  infected  with  the 
microbe  of  high  intrigue  ;  so  that  his  later  misdeeds 
have  to  a  great  degree  washed  out  in  the  estimate  of 
posterity  the  undoubted  brilliancy  of  his  early  career. 


THE  TWO  DUKES  145 

Yet  in  extenuation  we  must  remember  that  those  were 
days  not  far  removed  from  the  age  when  might  was 
right ;  an  era  when  the  great  game  of  pohtics  was  played 
for  kingdoms,  and  kingly  power.  Those  same  ambitions 
have  in  the  course  of  centuries  diluted  in  England  down 
to  almost  domestic  hmits  ;  and  the  fiercest  politicians  of 
this  day  are  content  to  break  their  lances  over  less 
ambitious  schemes.  To  head  armed  rebellions,  or  to 
place  the  King  in  the  Tower,  or  to  reign  in  his  stead, 
are  far  removed  from  the  inchnations  or  ambitions  of  a 
modern  politician,  be  he  a  duke,  or  a  lav^er. 

Urged  therefore  by  the  spirit  of  the  times,  he  who 
had  been  plain  John  Dudley,^  set  out  on  the  high  road 
to  ruin.  The  chief  obstacle  in  his  way  was  the  Lord 
Protector,  the  Duke  of  Somerset ;  he  therefore  must  be 
removed.  The  first  attempt  failed,  for  though  he 
"  drew  about  eighteen  of  the  Privy  Council  to  knit 
with  him  against  the  Lord  Protector  "  ;  and  succeeded 
in  getting  him  imprisoned  in  the  Tower,  and  to  be 
arraigned  on  various  charges.  Yet  the  Duke  of  Somerset 
managed  to  make  good  his  defence  and  was  released,  and 
again  after  a  short  interval  resumed  his  position  as  Lord 
Protector. 

A  short  truce  intervened,  and  the  marriage  bells  rang 
for  the  wedding  between  Dudley's  eldest  son  Lord 
Lisle  and  the  Lord  Protector's  daughter  Lady  Anne 
Seymour.  But  in  little  more  than  a  year  Dudley,  now 
Duke  of  Northumberland,  returned  to  the  attack,  and 
on  his  instigation  the  Duke  of  Somerset  was  committed 
to  the  Tower  on  a  charge  of  high  treason  and  felony. 

The  Duke  was  tried  at  Westminster,  and  in  the  boy 
King's  diary  we  find  : 

"  The  duke  of  Somerset  cam  to  his  triall  at  West- 
myster  halle.  The  lord  treasourour  sat  as  high  stuard  of 
England  the  cloth  of  Estate,  on  a  benche  betwene  tow 

1  To  the  ancient  family  of  Percy  belonged,  and  belongs  again,  the 
Northumberland  title,  but  this  together  with  great  possessions  John 
Dudley  in  due  course  temporarily  took  unto  himself. 


146  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

postes,  3  degrees  high  :    al  the  lordes  to  the  number  of 
26,  videHcet  : 

Dukes.  Southfolke 

Northumberland 
Marquesse.    Northampton 
EtUs.  Derby,     Bedford,     Huntingdon,     Rutland, 

Bath,  Sussex,  Worcetour,  Pembroke    „* 
Viscount.       Hereford 
Barons.  Bargeiney,  Audley,  Wharton,  Euers,  Latimer, 

Bourough,    Souch,    Stafford,    Wentworth, 

Darcy,      Sturton,      Windsore,      CrumweU, 

Cobham,  Bray." 

Three  of  these  judges,  Northumbeiland,  Pembroke, 
and  Northampton,  were  the  Duke  of  Somerset's  bitter 
enemies,  and  had  compassed  his  downfall.  The  Court 
found  the  Duke  not  guilty  of  treason,  but  guilty  of 
felony  ;  in  that  he  had  conspired  to  murder  one  of  the 
King's  ministers,  to  wit  the  Duke  of  Northumberland  ; 
for  by  a  recent  law  such  act  was  a  felony.  There 
were  no  witnesses  to  support  the  charge,  nor  was  the 
prisoner  allowed  to  be  confronted  with  those  who  had 
ostensibly  made  the  charge.  He  was  sentenced  to  be 
hanged. 

As  showing  the  popularity  of  the  Duke  of  Somerset  a 
curious  misconception  on  the  part  of  the  Yeoman  Gaoler 
gave  a  sufficient  indication.  When  a  prisoner  was  taken 
from  the  Tower  for  trial  for  high  treason  the  Yeoman 
Gaoler,  as  is  well  known,  walked  in  front  carrying  the  axe 
with  its  edge  away  from  the  prisoner.  After  the  trial,  on 
the  return  journey  to  the  Tower,  if  the  prisoner  had 
been  found  guilty  the  edge  of  the  axe  was  turned 
towards  him  ;  if  found  not  guilty  it  was  away  from  him 
as  before.  The  Yeoman  Gaoler  and  those  with  him, 
hearing  that  the  Duke  had  been  acquitted  of  high 
treason,  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  acquitted 
in  full,  and  therefore  the  axe  was  carried  with  the  edge 
away  from  the  prisoner.  The  populace  seeing  this  sign 
went  wild  with  joy,  and  threw  their  caps  into  the  air. 


p      § 


THE  TWO  DUKES  147 

It  was  only  later  that  rumours  spread  that  the  Duke  was 
to  die. 

It  required  some  little  management  still  to  bring  the 
young  King  to  the  point  of  signing  his  uncle  and  guar- 
dian's death  warrant.  It  was  therefore  arranged  to  keep 
his  mind  off  the  subject  by  a  constant  round  of  gaiety, 
till  a  favourable  moment  should  be  found.  This  oppor- 
tunity came  on  January  i8th,  1552,  when  at  a  Council 
in  the  King's  own  handwriting  it  is  recorded  : 

"  The  matter  for  the  Duke  of  Somerset  and  his  con- 
federates to  be  considered  as  aperteineth  to  ourself  and 
quietnes  of  our  realme,  that  by  their  punishment  and 
execution,  according  to  the  lawes,  example  may  be 
shewed  to  others."^ 

This  order  for  the  execution,  which  was  to  take  place 
four  days  later,  is  testified  by  the  signatures  of  the  Privy 
Councillors  present.  The  Duke  was  not,  however,  to 
suffer  the  ignominy  of  being  hanged  as  a  felon,  but  was 
to  be  beheaded  on  Tower  Hill. 

Fearing  a  popular  uprising  in  favour  of  the  Duke, 
orders  were  issued  that  none  of  the  citizens  were  to 
leave  their  houses  before  10  a.m.,  when  the  execution 
it  was  calculated  would  be  over.  But  the  populace 
completely  disregarded  this  order,  and  "  by  seven  of 
the  clocke,  the  Tower  hill  was  covered  with  a  great 
multitude." 

At  eight  o'clock,  the  hour  appointed,  the  Duke  walked 
from  his  quarters  in  the  Tower  under  charge  of  the 
Lieutenant  as  far  as  the  Bulwark  Gate^  where,  in  accord- 
ance with  custom,  he  was  handed  over  to  the  Sheriffs 
for  execution.  With  great  composure,  and  in  a  perfectly 
natural  manner  as  if  he  had  been  in  his  own  chamber, 
the  Duke  mounted  the  scaffold,  and  kneehng  down, 
"  lifted  up  his  hands,  erected  himself  unto  God."  After 
saying  a  few  short  prayers  he  moved  to  the  east  end  of  the 

1  Cotton  MSS. 

^  This  gate  has  now  disappeared,  but  stood  a  little  way  up  Tower 
Hill  on  the  edge  of  the  moat. 


148  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

scaffold    and    addressed    the    people,    according    to    the 
Cottonian  MSS.,  in  these  words  : 

"  Masters  and  good  fellows,  I  am  come  hither  for  to 
die  :  but  a  true  and  faithful  man  as  any  was  unto  the 
King's  majesty,  and  to  his  realme  :  but  I  am  con- 
demned by  a  law  whereunto  I  am  subject,  and  as  we  aU 
are  :  and  therefore  to  show  obedience  I  am  content  to 
die  :  wherewith  I  am  well  content,  being  a  thing  most 
heartily  welcome  unto  me  :  for  the  which  I  do  thank 
God,  taking  it  for  a  singular  benefit  as  ever  might  come 
to  me  any  otherwise.  For  as  I  am  a  man,  I  have  de- 
served at  God's  hands  many  deaths  :  and  it  hath  pleased 
his  goodness,  whereas  he  might  have  taken  me  suddenly, 
that  I  should  neither  have  known  him  nor  myself,  thus 
now  to  visit  me  and  call  me  with  this  present  death  as 
you  do  see,  when  I  have  had  time  both  to  remember  and 
knowledge  him,  and  to  know  also  myself  :  for  which 
thing  I  do  thank  him  most  heartily.  And,  my  friends, 
more  I  have  to  say  unto  you  as  concerning  religion.  I 
have  been  always,  being  in  authority  a  furtherer  of  it  to 
the  glory  of  God,  to  the  uttermost  of  my  power,  whereof 
I  am  nothing  sorry,  but  rather  have  cause  and  do  rejoyce 
most  gladly  that  I  have  so  done  for  the  greatest  benefit 
of  God  that  ever  I  had,  or  any  man  might  have  in  this 
world  :  beseeching  you  all  to  take  it  so,  and  to  follow  it 
on  still,  for  if  not  there  v/ill  follow  and  come  a  great 
plague." 

As  he  finished  this  speech  a  great  commotion  was 
observed,  and  some  thought  it  was  a  pardon  that  was 
arriving  in  haste,  and  some  with  delicate  consciences 
remembered  that  by  the  King's  orders  they  were  out  of 
their  houses  before  the  given  hour.  One  way  and  another 
a  temporary  panic  and  disorder  arose,  in  the  course  of 
which  many  were  injured,  and  over  one  hundred  were 
jostled  into  the  moat  of  the  Tower,  which  was  full  of 
water  and  sHme,  and  well-nigh  drowned.  The  cause  of 
the  disturbance  was  twofold ;  on  the  one  hand  a  party 
of  city  halbardiers  who  had  come  late  to  the  execution 
attempted  to  force  a  way  from  the  east ;    and  on  the 


THE  TWO  DUKES  149 

other  hand  Sir  Anthony  Browne,  a  sheriff  of  Surrey, 
also  late,  arrived  in  hot  haste  from  the  west  with  a  few 
followers  on  horseback,  and  pressed  through  the  crowd. 
The  multitude,  whose  entire  sympathies  were  with  the 
Duke,  concluded  that  one  way  or  the  other  a  pardon  had 
come,  and  began  shouting,  "  Pardon,  pardon,  pardon, 
hurlying  up  their  cappes  and  clokes  wythe. these  wordes 
saying  God  save  the  Kynge,  God  save  the  Kynge." 

But  the  Duke  of  Somerset  was  little  moved,  though 
for  a  moment  a  bright  flush  of  hope  spread  to  his  cheeks. 
From  his  raised  position  he  could  see  that  no  one  likely 
to  be  carrying  the  King's  pardon  was  approaching  ;  and 
therefore  at  once  with  his  cap  in  his  hand,  he  soothed 
the  people  with  these  words  : 

"  And  once  agayne  derely  beloved  in  the  Lord  I 
require  you  that  you  will  keepe  yourseles  quiet  and  still, 
least  thorowe  your  tumult  you  might  cause  mee  to  have 
trouble,  which  in  this  case  would  nothing  at  all  profite 
me,  neyther  be  any  pleasure  unto  yow.  For  albeit  the 
spirite  be  wylling  and  readie,  the  fleshe  is  frayle  and 
wavering,  and  through  your  quietnesse,  I  shall  be  much 
more  the  quieter  :  but  if  that  you  fall  into  tumult  it 
will  be  great  trouble  and  no  gayne.  Moreover  I  desire 
you  to  beare  me  witnesse  that  I  die  here  in  the  fayth  of 
Jesu  Christ  :  desiring  you  to  helpe  me  with  your  prayers, 
that  I  maye  persevere  constant  in  the  same  unto  my 
hfe's  end."i 

"  Then  he  turning  himselfe  about  kneeled  downe 
upon  hys  knees,  unto  whome  Doctor  Coxe,^  which  was 
there  present  to  counsayle  and  advertise  him,  delivered 
a  certaine  scroll  unto  his  hande,  wherein  was  conteyned  a 
briefe  confession  unto  God,  which  beyng  read  he  stood 
up  agayne  on  his  feete,  without  any  trouble  of  minde  as 
it  appeared,  and  first  bade  the  Sherifes  farewell,  then  the 
Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  and  certayne  other  that  were 
on  the  scaffolde,  taking  them  all  by  the  handes.  Then 
he  gave  the  executioner  certayne  money,  which  done,  he 

1  Grafton.  ^  Later  Bishop  of  Ely. 


150  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

put  off  his  gowne,  and  kneling  downe  agayne  in  the 
strawe,  untyed  hys  shirt  strings,  and  then  the  executioner 
coming  to  him,  turned  down  his  coUer  rounde  about  his 
necke,  and  all  other  things  which  did  let  and  hinder  him. 
Then  he  covering  his  face  with  his  owne  handkerchiefe, 
lifting  up  hys  eyes  unto  heaven,  where  his  onely  hope 
remained,  laid  himselfe  downe  along,  and  then  suffered 
the  heavie  stroke  of  the  axe,  which  dissevered  the  head 
from  his  bodye,  to  the  lamentable  sight  and  griefe  of 
thousands  that  heartily  prayed  God  for  him,  and  entirely 
loved  him. "^ 

Another  account  of  the  execution  says : 

"  He  showed  no  manner  of  trouble  or  feare  ;  neither 
did  his  countenance  change,  but  that  before  his  eyes 
were  covered,  there  began  to  appear  a  red  colour  in  the 
midst  of  his  cheeks  ;  and  thus  the  most  meeke  and  gentle 
duke  lying  along  and  looking  for  the  stroke  because  his 
doublet  covered  his  neck  he  was  commanded  to  put  it  off  ; 
then  laying  himselfe  down  again  upon  the  block,  and 
calling  thrice  upon  the  name  of  Jesus  saying,  "  Lord 
Jesu,  save  me  "  ;  he  was  the  third  time  repeating  the 
same,  even  as  the  name  of  Jesu  was  in  uttering,  in  a 
moment  he  was  bereft  both  of  head  and  life  ;  and  slept 
in  the  Lord  Jesus,  being  taken  awaie  from  aU  the  dangers 
and  evils  of  this  life  and  resting  now  in  the  peace  of  God  ; 
in  the  preferment  of  whose  truth  and  Gospell  he  alwaies 
showed  himselfe  an  excellent  instrument  and  member, 
and  therefore  hath  received  the  reward  of  his  labours. 
Thus,  gentle  reader,  thou  hast  the  true  historye  of  this 
worthie  and  noble  duke,  and  if  anie  man  report  it  other- 
wise, let  it  be  counted  as  a  lie."^ 

"  And  shortely  ys  body  was  putt  into  a  coffin  and 
carryed  into  the  Towre  and  ther  bered  in  the  chyrche  on 
the  north  syd  of  the  gwyre  of  St.  Peters  :  the  wyche  I 
beseeche  God  have  mercy  on  ys  sowUe.    Amen."^ 

The  Duke  of  Somerset,  Lord  Protector,  was  buried 
near    the   altar   in    St.   Peter's   ad   Vincula,    and    there 

^  Gra£ton.  *  Holinshed.  *  Machyn's  Diary. 


J()[[N    DIDI  KV,     HrKK    OV    NORTH  T  M  BEKI. AM) 


THE  TWO  DUKES  151 

the  flagstone   showing  where  his   bones   now  rest   may- 
be seen. 

The  only  epitaph  he  received  from  his  nephew, 
Edward  VI,  was  the  entry  in  that  boy's  diary  : 

"22  Jan.  1551-2.  The  Duke  of  Somerset  had  his 
head  cut  off  upon  Towre  Hill  between  eight  and  nine  a 
cloke  in  the  morning." 

His  chief  rival  now  safely  buried  the  Duke  of  Northum- 
berland took  the  helm,  and  for  the  brief  remainder  of 
Edward's  reign  steered  the  bark  of  State.  But  with  the 
young  King's  death  new  ambitions  rose.  The  Duke's 
son,  Guildford  Dudley,  an  inoffensive  and  somewhat 
uninspiring  youth,  had  married  Lady  Jane  Grey,  daughter 
of  the  Duke  of  Suffolk,  and  cousin  to  the  King.  On  his 
death-bed  the  Duke  of  Northumberland  persuaded 
Edward  to  pass  over  his  two  half-sisters,  Mary  and 
Ehzabeth,  and  to  bequeath  the  crown  to  his  cousin  Lady 
Jane.  Northumberland  kept  the  news  of  the  King's 
death  secret  for  two  days,  so  that  he  might  consohdate 
his  position,  and  on  July  9th,  1553,  proclaimed  Jane 
Grey,  Queen  of  England,  and  led  her  in  State  to  the 
Tower. 

Meanwhile  a  faction  had  arisen  in  favour  of  the 
Princess  Mary,  the  legitimate  successor  to  the  throne, 
and  armed  forces  as  well  as  the  fleet  at  Yarmouth  sup- 
ported her.  Northumberland  and  his  sons  left  London 
to  meet  and  overcome  with  armed  force  this  opposition. 
But  his  nerve  failed  him,  the  soldiers  had  no  heart  in  the 
enterprise,  and  it  ended  miserably.  With  great  prompt- 
ness the  Duke  changed  his  coat,  and  riding  into  the 
market  place  at  Cambridge  himself  proclaimed  Queen 
the  Princess  Mary.  But  Queen  Mary  was  a  lady  of 
some  shrewdness,  and  knew  well  the  man  she  had  to 
deal  with  ;  she  therefore  ignored  the  Duke's  professed 
allegiance,  and  sent  the  Earl  of  Arundel  to  arrest  him. 
Tlie  Duke  thereupon  behaved  in  a  very  abject  manner, 
and  "  fell  on  his  knees,  and  desired  him  to  be  good  to 
him  for  the  love  of  God."    This  must  have  been  a  sweet 


152  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

moment  for  Arundel,  for  the  Duke  had  treated  him 
none  too  well. 

Under  escort  Northumberland  was  brought  south, 
and  lodged  in  the  Bloody  Tower  of  the  Tower  of 
London.  After  a  delay  of  some  weeks  the  Duke  was 
brought  to  trial  at  Westminster,  and  his  demeanour 
does  not  make  very  inspiring  reading.  He  debased  him- 
self before  the  Court,  over  which  presided  the  Duke  of 
Norfolk,  or  to  put  it  in  ancient  language,  "  used  great 
reverence  to  his  judges  "  ;  and  then  suggested  an  easy 
road  out  of  the  dilemma,  both  for  them  and  him.  He 
invited  their  opinion  as  to  whether  a  man  could  be 
guilty  of  high  treason  who  acted  under  orders  given 
under  warrant  of  the  Great  Seal.  And  next  whether  it 
was  permissible  for  those  under  whose  orders  he  had 
acted  and  were  therefore  equally  responsible,  to  be 
amongst  his  judges.  Receiving  a  straight  answer  and 
straight  rebuff,  the  Duke  at  once  stood  down  "  using  a 
few  words  declaring  his  earnest  repentance  in  the  case, 
and  moving  the  Duke  of  Norfolk  to  be  his  meane  to  the 
Queene  for  mercy." 

The  indictment  against  the  prisoner  was  then  read, 
that  he  "  by  machinating  and  compassing  to  depose  the 
Queen  from  her  crown  and  dignity,  did  with  arms  and 
artillery,  levy  war  against  the  Queen."  The  Duke  of 
Northumberland  pleaded  guilty  to  the  charge  and  made 
request  to  the  Court,  "  I  beseech  you  my  Lords  all  to 
bee  humble  suters  to  the  Queene's  majestic  to  graunt 
me  iij  requestes."  The  first  of  these  was  that  he  might 
be  accorded  the  death  of  a  nobleman  and  not  of  a  felon. 
The  second  implored  the  Queen  to  be  good  to  his 
children.  The  third  (and  this  was  a  subtle  stroke)  that  a 
holy  man  might  be  sent  him  for  instruction  "  and 
quieting  of  my  concyence."  He  added  a  fourth,  also  a 
shrewd  request,  asking  that  two  Privy  Councillors  might 
be  sent  to  him,  to  whom  he  w^ould  impart  "  matters  as 
shal  be  expedyent  for  hir  and  the  comonwelthes."^ 

The    Duke    of    Norfolk,    Lord    High    Steward,    then 

^  Stow. 


THE  TWO  DUKES  153 

passed  sentence,  and  broke  his  wand  of  office  in  token 
that  the  Court  was  dissolved.  The  Duke  of  Northumber- 
land was  escorted  back  to  the  Tower  with  the  edge  of 
the  axe  towards  him  ;  no  man  sympathising  with  him, 
for  he  was  universally  feared  and  hated  by  the  citizens. 
But  the  Duke  died  hard.  He  moved  heaven  and  earth, 
and  used  every  guile  and  wile  to  escape  his  fate.  To  the 
"  Hon'Jie  lord,"  the  Earl  of  Arundel  his  "  especiall 
refuge,"  he  wrote  a  letter  of  deep  abasement  ;  but  this 
and  other  representations  on  the  temporal  side  failing, 
he  turned  to  the  spiritual  ladder  of  escape  ;  for  knowing 
the  Queen's  almost  fanatical  adherence  to  the  Roman 
Church,  he  perceived  here  a  possible  gleam  of  hope.  To 
Gardiner,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  he  confided  his  willing- 
ness to  abjure  the  Protestant  faith,  and  to  embrace  the 
religion  of  the  Queen,  asking  in  return  that  his  life 
should  be  spared.  The  stroke  was  a  clever  one,  for 
Northumberland  was  a  great  figurehead,  and  his  lead 
might  well  be  calculated  to  influence  many.  Gardiner 
evidently  pressed  this  view  on  the  Queen  ;  but  she  was  a 
subtle  lady,  for  she  not  only  secured  the  apostasy  of  the 
Duke  for  what  it  was  worth,  but  took  his  head  as  well. 

The  execution  was  delayed  a  day  for  this  ceremony 
of  apostasy  to  be  accomplished.  The  Duke  walked 
across  from  the  Beauchamp  Tower  to  St.  John's  Chapel, 
"  and  the  Lady  Jane^  loking  throughe  the  windowe  saw 
the  Duke  and  the  rest  going  to  the  Churche."  An  eye- 
witness thus  describes  the  ceremony  :  "  On  Mondaye 
the  xxi^t  of  August,  it  was  appoynted  the  Duke  with 
others  should  have  suffered,  and  all  the  garde  were  at  the 
Tower,  but  howsowever  it  chanced  he  did  not  :  but  he 
desired  to  heare  masse  and  to  receave  the  Sacrament, 
according  to  the  old  accustomed  manner.  So  about  ix 
of  the  cloke,  the  alter  in  the  Chappell  was  arraied,  and 
eche  thing  prepared  for  the  purpose  :  then  Mr.  Gage 
(Sir  John  Gage,  the  Constable)  went  and  fetched  the 
Duke  :  and  Sir  John  a  Bridges  (Sir  John  Brydges, 
Lieutenant  of  the  Tower)  and  Mr.  John  a  Bridges  (his 

^  Lady  Jane  Grey. 


154  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

son)  dyd  fetche  the  Marques  of  Northampton,  Sir 
Androwe  Dudley  (Lord  Ambrose  Dudley),  Sir  Harry 
Gates,  and  Sir  Thomas  Palmer,  to  masse,  which  was 
sayde  both  with  elevation  over  the  hed,  the  paxe  geving, 
blessinge,  and  crossinge  on  the  crowne,  breathinge, 
towrninge  aboute,  and  all  the  other  rytes  and  accydentes 
o£  olde  tyme  appertayning  :  and  when  the  tyme  came 
the  prysoners  shoulde  receive  the  sacrament,  the  Duke 
tourned  himselfe  to  the  people  and  saide,  first,  theis 
wordes,  or  suche  like  : 

"  *  My  masters  I  lett  you  all  to  understande  that  I  do 
most  faithfuUie  belyve  this  is  the  right  true  waie,  oute 
of  the  which  true  religion  you  and  I  have  been  seduced 
theis  xvi  yeres  past,  by  the  false  and  erronyeous  preching 
of  the  new  prechers,  the  which  is  the  onelie  cause  of  the 
great  plagges  and  vengeaunce  which  hathe  lighte  upon 
the  holye  realme  of  Englande,  and  now  likewise  worthely 
falne  apon  me  and  others  here  presente  for  owr  unfayth- 
fulnesse.  And  I  do  believe  the  holye  sacramente  here 
most  assuredlye  to  be  owr  Saviour  and  Redeemer  Jesus 
Christe  ;  and  this  I  praye  you  all  to  testifye,  and  praye 
for  me."^ 

His  apostasy  accomplished,  arrangements  for  the 
execution  followed  quickly.  The  next  morning, 
August  22nd,  1553,  in  the  fifty-first  year  of  his  age, 
John  Dudley,  Duke  of  Northumberland,  was  led  forth 
to  die  on  Tower  Hill.  Outside  the  Beauchamp  Tower 
he  met  Sir  John  Gates,  a  fellow  transgressor,  and  at  first 
some  heated  words  passed  between  the  two,  as  to  who 
was  responsible  for  the  trouble  they  had  come  to.  But 
after  explanations  they  parted  with  courtesy ;  each 
saying  he  forgave  the  other.  Standing  by  were  the  sons 
of  the  Duke  of  Somerset,  who  had  been  directed  to 
attend  both  during  the  service  of  renunciation  in  the 
Chapel,  and  on  this  the  day  of  execution  ;  that  they 
might  see  the  humiliation  of  the  man  who  had  been  the 
chief  cause  of  their  father's  downfall  and  death.    At  the 

^  Chron.  of  Queen  Jane  and  Queen  Mary. 


THE  TWO  DUKES  155 

Bulwark  Gate  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  handed  over 
the  prisoners  to  the  Sheriffs  of  London  for  execution. 
It  was  here  that  out  of  the  crowd  burst  a  woman  who 
flourished  in  the  Duke's  face  a  handkerchief  dipped  in 
the  blood  of  the  Duke  of  Somerset,  and  cursed  the 
author  of  his  death.  Amongst  those  on  the  scaffold  was 
the  Bishop  of  Worcester  to  give  ghostly  comfort.  The 
Duke  first  "  puttinge  off  his  gowne  of  swane  coloured 
damask "  walked  to  the  east  end  of  the  scaffold  and 
leaning  on  the  railing  addressed  the  people  : 

"  Good  people,  all  of  you  that  be  heere  present  to  see 
mee  die,  though  my  death  bee  odious,  and  horrible  to  the 
flesh,  yet  I  pray  you  judge  the  best  in  God's  workes,  for 
hee  doth  all  for  the  best,  and  as  for  mee,  I  am  a  wretched 
sinner,  and  have  deserved  to  die,  and  most  justly  am 
condemned  to  die  by  law  :  and  yet  this  act  wherof  I  dye, 
was  not  altogether  of  me  (as  it  is  thought)  but  I  was 
procured  and  induced  thereunto  by  other  :    Howbeit, 
God  forbid  that  I  should  name  any  man  unto  you,  I  will 
name  no  man  unto  you,  and  therefore  I  beseeche  you 
looke  not  for  it.     I,  for  my  part,  forgive  all  men,  and 
pray  God  also  to  forgive  them.    And  if  I  have  offended 
any  of  you  here,  I  pray  you,  and  all  the  world  to  forgive 
me  ;     and   mostly,   chiefly   I   desire   forgiveness   of   the 
Queen's  highnesse,  whom  I  have  most  grievously  offended. 
And  I  pray  you  all  to  witness  with  me,  that  I  departe  in 
perfect  love  and  charitie  with  all  the  world,  and  that  you 
will  assist  me  with  your  prayers  at  this  hour  of  death. "^ 
Having  said  these  words  the  Duke  kneeled  down,  and 
called  on  those  about  him  to  witness  that  he  died  in  the 
true  Cathohc  faith.     He  then  repeated  some  verses  of 
the  Psalms  and  ended  with  "  into  thy  hands  O  Lord  I 
commend  my  spirit."    Then  the  executioner  approached 
and  kneehng  asked  his  forgiveness,  to  which  the  Duke 
answered,  "  I  forgive  thee  with  all  my  heart,  and  doe  thy 
part  without  feare."     The  Duke  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross  on  the  sawdust  at  his  feet  and  kissed  it,  saying,  "  I 
have  deserved  a  thousand  deathes."     Then  he  laid  his 

^  Stow. 


156  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

head  upon  the  block  and  was  instantly  beheaded. 
"  Whose  body  with  the  head  was  buryed  in  the  Tower, 
by  the  body  of  Edward,  late  Duke  of  Somerset  :  so  that 
there  lyeth  before  the  high  altar  of  St.  Peter's  Church, 
two  Dukes  betweene  two  Queenes,  to  wit,  the  Duke  of 
Somerset,  and  the  Duke  of  Northumberland  between 
Queen  Anne  and  Queene  Katherine,  all  foure  be- 
headed."! 

^  Stow. 


XI 

THE   QUEEN  OF   NINE   DAYS 

I<ADY  Jane  Grey,  {b.  1537;   d.  February  12th,  1554) 

Lady  Jane  Grey— Her  dangerous  relatives— Father  and  father-in- 
law — Proclaimed  Queen — Arrives  at  the  Tower — Dons  the 
robes  and  jewels  of  Sovereignty — Deposed  and  imprisoned  in 
the  Tower — "  A  place  not  easy  to  leave  "—Lord  Guildford 
Dudley  her  husband— The  Gentleman  Gaoler— A  dinner 
party — Converse  thereat — Lady  Jane  tried  at  the  Guildhall — 
The  Duke  of  Suffolk's  insurrection  seals  her  fate— Execution 
ordered — Sees  her  husband's  lifeless  corpse  carried  by — Her 
own  execution  follows — Her  fearless  demeanour — Her  prayers 
and  words—"  Lord,  into  thy  hands  " — Lies  before  the  altar  in 
St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula. 

ONE  of  the  most  pathetic  and  beautiful  ladies 
who  have  come  to  the  block  in  the  Tower  of 
London  was  Lady  Jane  Grey.  A  quiet,  un- 
assuming, devout  lady,  her  misfortune  was  to 
be  the  offspring  of  an  ambitious  father,  and  later  to  wed 
into  a  family  where  similar  ambitions  reigned.  To  add 
to  the  stars  of  her  misfortune,  she  chanced  to  be  a  first 
cousin  to  the  sovereign,  at  an  era  when  all  near  relations 
to  the  throne  were  looked  upon,  perhaps  not  without 
reason,  with  suspicion,  in  the  light  of  potential  usurpers, 
or  at  least  the  mainspring  of  conspiracies.  The  ambitious 
father  was  Henry  Grey,  Duke  of  Suffolk  ;  the  equally 
ambitious  father-in-law  was  John  Dudley,  Duke  of 
Northumberland  ;  and  the  royal  cousin  was  Edward  VI. 
As  this  sickly  youth  lay  dying  he  bequeathed,  as  before 
narrated,  the  throne  to  his  cousin  Jane,  to  the  exclusion 
of  his  sisters  Mary  and  Elizabeth.  The  Duke  of  Northum- 
berland,   to    whose    machinations    this    injustice    was 

157 


158  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

ascribed,  at  once  proclaimed  Jane,  Queen  of  England, 
and  himself,  as  we  have  seen,  marched  northwards  to 
light  the  supporters  of  the  claims  of  the  Princess  Mary. 

Meanwhile  the  reign  of  Lady  Jane  Grey  ran  its  brief 
course.  On  July  loth,  1553,  she  was  brought  in  State 
from  Sion  House  down  the  Thames  to  the  Tower,  and 
entered  it  as  Queen  of  England  ;  "  with  grett  compeny 
of  lords  and  nobulls,  and  ther  was  a  shot  of  gunnes  and 
chamburs  as  has  nott  bene  sene  oft,  between  four  and 
five  of  the  clocke."^ 

Though  not  yet  constitutionally  crowned  she  w^as 
clothed  in  the  Royal  Robes,  and  walked  to  the  Great 
Hall  of  the  Tower,  taking  her  place  on  the  throne  as 
Queen  of  England  ;  whilst  the  Heralds  proclaimed  her 
accession,  at  the  four  corners  of  the  fortress.  The 
Crown  Jewels  were  also  presented  to  her  by  the  Keeper, 
Lord  Winchester.  It  had  been  arranged  that  Lady 
Jane  Grey  and  Lord  Guildford  Dudley  were  together, 
as  Queen  and  Consort,  to  take  up  their  abode  in  the 
State  Apartments.  But  to  this  the  Queen  would  not 
consent,  for  attached  though  she  was  to  a  somewhat 
colourless  spouse,  and  though  young  in  years  and  experi- 
ence, she  had  sufficient  political  acumen  to  see  through 
this  seemingly  guileless  manoeuvre,  undoubtedly  inspired 
by  her  ducal  father-in-law.  Therefore  although  she  her- 
self occupied  in  due  state  the  Queen's  Lodgings,  Lord 
Guildford  Dudley  was  at  her  request  accommodated 
either  with  Lord  CHnton,^  the  Constable,  or  in  the 
Lieutenant's  Lodgings.  Nor  do  her  fears  appear  to 
have  been  altogether  groundless,  for  two  days  after  she 
came  to  the  Tower  she  became  suspiciously  ill,  which 
she  herself  ascribed  to  poison. 

After  a  brief  reign  of  but  nine  days,  spent  wholly 
within  the  walls  of  the  Tower,  news  was  brought  her 
that  she  was  no  longer  Queen.  The  bearer  of  these 
tidings  was  her  father  the  Duke  of  Suffolk,  who  as  a 

^  Machyn's  Diary,  p.  35. 

"  Lord  Clinton  was  made  Constable  in  place  of  Sir  John  Gage  at  this 
crisis. 


THE  QUEEN   OF   NINE  DAYS  159 

preliminary   had  with   due    formahty   proclaimed    the 
Princess  Mary,  Queen,  on  Tower  Hill. 

The  announcement  was  received  with  a  sigh  of  relief  ; 
and  without  protest  or  comment  Lady  Jane  passed  into 
her  private  apartments,  and  made  preparations  to  leave 
the  Tower.  But  as  the  historian  says  "  the  Tower  was 
a  place  not  easy  to  leave  save  by  one  route  too  often 
travelled,"  1  and  that  route  the  poor  lady  was  destined 
to  follow. 

Lord  Guildford  Dudley  was  ordered  to  be  imprisoned 
in  the  Beauchamp  Tower,  whilst  Lady  Jane  Grey  was 
first  accommodated  in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings,  and 
later  removed  to  the  Gentleman  Goaler's  quarters  which 
lie  alongside  the  Beauchamp  Tower.  The  name  of  the 
Gentleman  Gaoler  was  Nathaniel  Partridge,  and  the  lady 
late  a  Queen  sat  at  table  with  him  and  his  family. 

A  very  interesting  account^  of  one  of  these  meals  is 
given  by  one  of  Nathaniel  Partridge's  friends,  who  with 
Lady  Jane  Grey's  consent,  dined  at  the  common  table. 
At  the  head  of  the  table,  "  at  the  hordes  end  "  sat  Lady 
Jane  ;  at  the  sides  Partridge,  his  guest,  and  his  wdfe, 
together  with  Jacob  her  ladyship's  maid,  and  her  footman. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  her  Ladyship  ordered  Partridge 
and  his  guest  to  put  on  their  caps  ;  in  other  words  gently 
hinting  that  she  was  no  longer  a  Queen.  Lady  Jane 
seems  to  have  been  most  friendly  and  unconstrained, 
and  "  once  or  twice  droncke  to  "  the  guest,  and  bad  him 
"  hartelhe  wellcome."  She  also  discoursed  freely  on 
various  subjects,  and  regarding  her  successor  on  the 
throne  remarked,  "  The  Quene's  majesty  is  a  mercy  full 
princess  :  I  beseche  God  she  may  long  contynue,  and 
sende  his  bountefull  grace  apon  hir."^  Turning  to 
matters  of  religion  she  asked  who  "  preached  at  Polles 
(St.  Paul's)  on  Sonday  before."  And  so  passed  on  to  the 
subject  of  holding  Mass.  This  brought  up  the  matter 
of  the  sudden  conversion  of  the  Duke  of  Northumber- 
land, who  from  her  window  she  had  seen  crossing  the 
Green  on  his  way  to  the  Chapel  to  apostatise.  It  was 
1  Froude.  "  Harleian  MSS-  ^  Ibid, 


i6o  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

suggested,  with  diffidence,  that  possibly  the  Duke  hoped 
to  save  his  head  by  this  action,  or  to  receive  a  pardon.  To 
which  Lady  Jane  rephed  with  some  spirit  :    "  Pardon  ! 
wo  with  him  !    he  hathe  brought  me  and  our  stocke  in 
most  myserable  callamyty  and  mysery  by  his  exceedinc^ 
ambicion.     But  for  the  aunswering  that  he  hoped  fo- 
Hfe   by  his   tourning,  thoughe   other   men   be   of   that 
opynion,  I  utterly  am  not  ;   for  what  man  is  ther  lyving, 
I  pray  you,  although  he  had  been  innocent,  that  wolde 
hope  of  Hfe  in  that  case  ;   being  in  the  felde  ageinst  the 
Quene  in  person  as  generall,   and  after  his  taking,  so 
hated  and  evell  spoken  of  by  the  Comons  ?    and  at  his 
coming  into  pryson  so  wondered  at,  as  the  hke  was  never 
harde  by  any  man's  tyme.     Who  was  judge,  that  he 
should  hope  for  pardon,  whose  Hfe  was  odyous  to  all 
men  ?     But  what  wiH  ye  more  ?    Hke   as  his   Hfe  was 
wicked  and  full  of  dissimulacion,  so  was  his  end  there- 
after.    I  pray  God,  I,  nor  no  frende  of  myne  dye  so. 
Shoulde  I,  who  am  yonge  and  in   fewers   (few  years) 
forsake   my   faythe   for  the  love   of  lyfe  ?      Nay,   God 
forbed  I  *  *  *  *  But  God  be  mercyful  to  us,  for  he 
sayeth,  '  Whoso  denyeth  him  before  men,  he  wiU  not 
knowe  him  in  his  Father's  Kingdom.'  "^ 

Lady  Jane  spoke  of  the  departed,  for  not  only  had  she 
seen  the  Duke  of  Northumberland  on  his  way  to  aposta- 
tise, but  had  also  only  a  week  before  seen  his  lifeless 
body  brought  back  from  Tower  Hih,  to  be  buried  in 
St.  Peter's  Chapel.  It  is  of  interest  too  to  notice  the 
bigotry  which  mutual  intolerance  had  engrained  on  both 
sects  of  the  Christian  religion.  To  a  Protestant  the  bare 
fact  of  a  man  becoming  a  Roman  CathoHc  definitely 
precluded  the  possibiHty  of  the  two  meeting  in  the 
kingdom  of  the  same  Heavenly  Father,  on  equal  terms. 
Whilst  the  Roman  CathoHc  would  burn  a  member  of 
the  other  faction  with  holy  joy,  as  a  foretaste  of  the 
eternal  fate  undoubtedly  his  due  ;  no  question  what- 
ever remaining  of  their  meeting,  even  on  distant  terms, 
in  the  realms  above. 

1  Harleian  MSS. 


THE  QUEEN  OF  NINE  DAYS  i6i 

The  dinner,  however,  ended  in  peace  "  with  this  and 
moche  hke  talke  the  dyner  passed  away  ;  which  ended, 
I  thanked  her  ladyship  for  that  she  would  witsafe 
(vouchsafe)  accept  me  in  hir  companye ;  and  she 
thancked  me  hkewise,  and  sayd  I  was  wellcome." 

There  is  a  very  quaint  and  interesting  relic  of  ancient 
rain-water  drainage,  still  to  be  seen  in  the  Yeoman 
Gaoler's^  house,  which  Lady  Jane  Grey  occupied.  The 
rain  water  from  the  roof  runs  into  a  long  narrow  trough, 
which  is  fixed  along  the  inside  of  the  rooms  on  the  top 
storey.  This  trough  has  a  removable  cover,  so  that  the 
rain  water  can  be,  and  probably  was  in  those  days,  used 
by  the  occupants. 

The  close  confinement  of  the  Gentleman  Gaoler's 
quarters  began  to  tell  on  the  health  of  the  lady,  conse- 
quently after  about  two  months'  imprisonment,  orders 
came  that  both  Lady  Jane  Grey,  and  Archbishop  Cranmer, 
were  to  be  allowed  to  walk  in  the  Lieutenant's  Garden  at 
his  discretion.  This  garden  has  since  been  flagged  over, 
but  there  is  a  proposal  that  it  shall  be  returfed.  Lord 
Guildford  Dudley  was  also  to  be  allowed  the  "  hbertie 
of  the  leades  on  Beacham's  Tower,  upon  suggestion  that 
divers  be,  and  have  been,  evill  at  ease  in  their  bodies  for 
want  of  air." 

The  ceremonies  and  festivities  connected  vdth  the 
coronation  of  Queen  Mary  occupied  the  attention  of 
all ;  so  that  it  was  not  till  November  that  the  trial  of 
Lady  Jane  Grey  and  Lord  Guildford  Dudley  took 
place.  "  On  the  xiii  dale  of  November  were  ledd  out  of 
the  Tower  on  foot,  to  be  arraigned,  to  Yeldhall  (Guild- 
hall) with  the  axe  before  them,  from  theyr  wardes, 
Thomas  Cranmer,  Archbushoppe  of  Canterbury.  Next 
followed  the  Lorde  Gilforde  Dudley.  Next  followed 
the  Lady  Jane  Grey,  and  hir  two  gentyllwomen  following 
hir.  Next  followed  the  Lorde  Ambrose  Dudley  and  the 
Lorde  Harry  Dudley.  The  Lady  Jane  was  in  a  blacke 
gowne,  tourned  downe ;  the  cappe  Hned  vdth  fese 
velvett,  and  edget  about  with  the  same  ;    in  a  French 

1  The  present  designation  of  the  Gentleman  Gaoler. 


M 


i62  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

hoode,  all  black,  with  a  black  byllyment  (habilment)  ;  a 
black  velvet  boke  hanging  before  hir,  and  another  boke 
in  hir  open  hand."^ 

The  trial  by  special  commission  was  held  in  the  Guild- 
hall before  the  Lord  Mayor  ;  but  the  Duke  of  Norfolk, 
as  Lord  High  Steward,  presided,  and  was  assisted  by 
several  other  peers.  The  indictment  ran  "  for  assump- 
tion of  the  Royal  authority  by  Lady  Jane,  for  levying 
war  against  the  Queen  and  conspiring  to  set  up  another 
in  her  room."  The  prisoners  all  pleaded  guilty,  and 
were  duly  sentenced  ;  that  passed  on  Lady  Jane  Grey 
was  that  "  she  should  be  burned  alive  on  Tower  Hill  or 
beheaded  as  the  Queen  pleases."  After  sentence  the 
prisoners  returned  on  foot  to  the  Tower,  through  the 
crowded  streets  of  the  city,  guarded  as  before.  An 
unnecessary  humiliation,  especially  for  a  lady  of  rank,  and 
cousin  of  the  Queen. 

Lady  Jane's  imprisonment  at  the  Tower  was  not, 
however,  made  more  irksome  than  necessary,  for  she  was 
given  "  the  libertie  of  the  Tower,  so  that  she  might 
walk  in  the  Quene's  garden  and  on  the  hill."  The  "  hill  " 
being  Tower  Green,  where  was  the  Lieutenant's  Garden, 
whilst  the  Queen's  garden  lay  to  the  south  of  the  White 
Tower.  Except  therefore  that  she  was  not  allowed  on 
the  wharf  on  the  river  front,  she  was  practically  free 
of  the  Tower  limits.  There  is  every  reason  for  con- 
jecturing that  Queen  Mary  meant  to  spare  the  life  of 
this  gentle  lady,  but  most  unfortunately  at  the  most 
fateful  moment  her  father  the  Duke  of  Suffolk,  after 
the  turbulent  manner  of  the  age,  became  involved  in 
another  rebellion,  that  headed  by  Sir  Thomas  Wyat. 

Of  this  rebellion  Lady  Jane  Grey  probably  knew 
nothing  and  cared  less  ;  though  doubtless  for  party 
purposes  she  was  made  a  figure  head.  Nevertheless  it 
sealed  her  fate.  Much  as  we  of  a  milder  age  may  con- 
demn the  seeming  ferocity  exercised  by  the  rulers  in 
power  to  maintain  their  thrones,  it  must  in  justice  be 
remembered  that  they  had  to  deal  with  a  standard  of 

1  Machyn  :   Stow. 


THE  QUEEN  OF  NINE  DAYS  163 

honour  and  integrity  much  below  that  which  succeed- 
ing centuries  have  engrafted  on  British  character.  One 
can  understand  a  monarch,  who  had  tried  every  kind  of 
fair  and  generous  deaUng,  and  who  was  in  return  met  by 
the  grossest  ingratitude  and  treachery,  arriving  at  the 
conclusion,  that  the  clearing  off  of  the  whole  nest  was 
the  only  method  of  securing  the  public  peace,  as  well  as 
personal  immunity  from  assassination.  Much  therefore 
as  a  later  age  may  deplore  the  enforcement  of  wholesale 
penalties  and  executions,  one  has  to  bear  these  facts  in 
mind.  The  innocent  suffered  with  the  guilty,  and  thus 
Lady  Jane  Grey  suffered  the  extreme  penalty  as  a 
result  of  the  further  intrigues,  and  rebellions,  of  her 
father. 

The  Wyat  rebellion  being  crushed  on  February  6th, 
1554,  the  Duke  of  Suffolk  joined  his  daughter  as  a  prisoner 
in  the  Tower.  "  Consultation  was  held  what  deliquents 
should  be  punished  ;  when  the  first  that  was  thought  of 
was  Lady  Jane."  Her  doom  was  now  certain.  Queen 
Mary  pressed,  both  on  political  and  religious  grounds, 
consented  at  last  to  her  execution,  and  February  12th 
was  the  day  fixed  for  the  beheading  of  both  husband 
and  wife.  It  was  at  first  ordered  that  both  should  suffer 
on  Tower  Hill,  but  on  further  consideration  it  was 
feared  that  dangerous  feelings  of  compassion  might 
arise  amid  so  great  a  crowd,  at  the  sight  of  a  young  and 
innocent  woman  thus  done  to  death.  It  was  therefore 
finally  decided  that  whilst  Lord  Guildford  Dudley 
suffered  on  Tower  Hill,  Lady  Jane  was  to  meet  her  end 
in  the  comparative  seclusion  of  the  Green  within  the 
Tower. 

Lord  Guildford  Dudley  asked  to  see  his  wife  before 
his  execution,  and  this  boon  was  granted  by  Queen 
Mary  ;  but  Lady  Jane  asked  to  be  excused,  fearing  that 
it  might  unnerve  her  for  the  ordeal  before  her.  She 
added,  "  the  separation  would  be  but  for  a  moment  ;  if 
the  meeting  would  benefit  either  of  their  souls,  she 
would  see  him  with  pleasure,  but  in  her  opinion  it  would 
only  increase  their  trial ;   they  would  meet  soon  enough 


i64  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

in  the  other  world."  Queen  Mary  during  the  last  few 
days  endeavoured  to  convert  her  kinswoman  to  the 
Roman  Church,  and  sent  a  zealous  prelate/  "  affable 
and  pleasant,"  to  influence  her.  These  two,  the  priest 
and  the  lady,  had  long  and  interesting  discussions,  but 
the  lady,  unhke  the  Duke  of  Northumberland,  remained 
firm  in  her  faith. 

To  her  father  Lady  Jane  wrote  :  "  Father,  although 
it  hath  pleased  God  to  hasten  my  death  by  you,  by 
whome  my  hfe  should  rather  have  been  lengthened,  yet  I 
can  soe  patiently  take  it,  that  I  yield  God  more  hearty 
thanks  for  shortning  my  woful  days,  than  if  all  the  world 
had  been  given  into  my  possession,  with  life  lengthened 
at  my  own  will.  And  albeit  I  am  well  assured  of  your 
impatient  dolours,  redoubled  many  wayes,  both  in 
bewayling  your  own  woe,  and  especially  as  I  am  informed, 
my  wo  full  estate  :  yet  my  deare  father,  if  I  may  without 
offence,  rejoice  in  my  own  mishaps,  herein  I  may  account 
myselfe  blessed,  that  washing  my  hands  with  the  inno- 
cence of  my  fact,  my  guiltless  bloud  may  cry  before  the 
Lord,  Mercy  to  the  innocent. "^ 

Yet  was  the  cup  not  yet  full  for  this  tender  and 
gracious  lady.  Before  the  awful  ordeal  that  awaited  her 
on  that  Monday  morning,  she  was  fated  to  see  from  her 
little  window  in  the  Gentleman  Gaoler's  house  a  sad 
procession,  with  her  husband  in  the  midst,  leave  the 
Beauchamp  Tower.  It  crossed  the  Green,  and  descending 
through  the  great  archway  of  the  Bloody  Tower  wended 
its  way  to  Tower  Hill.  A  brief  and  grievous  wait,  and 
then  in  a  cart,  past  the  same  little  window,  came  the 
headless  trunk.^  His  end  is  thus  told  :  "  The  Mondaie 
being  the  xii  of  Februarie  about  ten  of  the  clock  ther 
went  out  of  the  Tower  to  the  scaffolde  on  Tower  Hill, 

1  John  Hovvman,  commonly  called  Feckenham  from  the  place  of  his 
birth,  afterwards  Dean  of  St.  Paul's  and  Abbot  of  Westminster. 

2  Harleian  MSS. 

^  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  picture  of  this  event  is  not  quite  accurate, 
nor  is  the  background ;  but  probably  the  contemporary  artist  had  not 
the  historic  details  we  now  possess. 


I  AIiV     JANK     GRKY    ON     HER     WAV      I  O     EXKCU  IION 

iir.R  husband's  dead  nonv  beinc.  carried  tast 

\F>oiii  the  Rritisli  Museum] 


THE  QUEEN   OF  NINE  DAYS  165 

the  Lorde  Guilforde  Dudley,  sone  of  the  late  Duke  of 
Northumberland,  husbande  to  the  Lady  Jane  Grey, 
daughter  to  the  Duke  of  Suffolke,  who  at  his  going  out 
tooke  by  the  hande  Sir  Anthony  Browne,  Master  John 
Throgmorton,  and  many  other  gentyllmen,  praying 
them  to  praie  for  him  ;  and  without  the  bullwarke, 
Thomas  Offeley  the  sheryve,  receyved  him  and  brought 
him  to  the  scaffolde,  where  after  a  small  declaration, 
having  no  gostlye  father  with  him,  he  kneeled  down  and 
said  his  praiers  ;  then  holding  upp  his  eyes  and  handes 
to  God  many  tymes  with  teares,  at  last  after  he  had 
desired  the  people  to  pray  for  him,  he  laide  himself 
along,  and  his  hedd  upon  the  block,  which  was  at  one 
stroke  of  the  axe  taken  from  him.  Note,  the  lorde 
marques  (the  Marquis  of  Northampton)  stode  upon  the 
Devyl's  Tower  (Devereux  Tower)  and  saw  the  execu- 
tyon.  His  carcas  throwne  into  a  carre  and  his  hed  in  a 
cloth,  he  was  brought  into  the  chappell  within  the 
Tower,  wher  the  Lady  Jane,  whose  lodging  was  in  Master 
Partridge's  house,  dyd  see  his  ded  carcase  taken  out  of 
the  cart,  as  well  as  she  dyd  see  him  before  alyve  going  to 
deathe,  a  sight  to  hir  no  less  than  deathe."^ 

The  welcome  moment  had  now  come  for  the  long- 
suffering  lady.  One  sharp  agony  and  she  would  be 
through  the  gates  of  Paradise,  leaving  behind  all  toil, 
and  trouble,  and  anguish.  "  By  this  time  was  ther  a 
scaffolde  made  upon  the  grene  over  against  the  White 
Tower  for  the  saide  Lady  Jane  to  die  upon.  Who  with 
hir  husband  was  appoynted  to  have  been  put  to  deathe 
the  Fryday  before,  but  was  staled  till  then,  for  what 
cause  is  not  knowen,  unless  yt  were  because  hir  father 
was  not  then  come  into  the  Tower.^  The  saide  Lady 
being  nothing  at  all  abashed,  neither  with  feare  of  her 
own  death,  which  then  approached,  neither  with  the 
sight  of  the  ded  carcase  of  hir  husbande,  when  he  was 
brought  into  the  chappell,  came  fourthe,  the  Leveten- 
aunt^  leading  hir,  in  the  same  gown  wherein  she  was 

^  Stow.        ^  More  probably  because  of  Feckenham's  intercession. 
'  Sir  John  Brydges,  later  Lord  Chandos  of  Sudeley. 


i66  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

arrayned,  hir  countenance  nothing  abashed,  neither  her 
eyes  any  thing  moysted  with  teares,  although  her  ij 
gentylwomen  Mistress  Ehzabeth  Tylney  and  Mistress 
Eleyn  wonderfully  wept,  with  a  boke  in  her  hande, 
wheron  she  praied  all  the  way  till  she  cam  to  the  saide 
scaffolde,  wheron  when  she  was  mounted,  this  noble 
young  ladie,  as  she  was  indued  with  singular  gifts  both 
of  learning  and  knowledge,  so  was  she  as  patient  and  mild 
as  any  lambe  at  hir  execution."^ 

The  book  which  was  in  her  hands  she  returned, 
through  his  brother,  to  Sir  John  Brydges,  from  whom 
she  had  borrowed  it.  In  it  she  had  written  on  a  spare 
leaf  a  pious  exhortation  and  signed  it  "  Youres  as  the 
Lord  knowethe,  as  a  frende  Jane  Duddeley."  The  book 
is  a  small  square  volume,  in  vellum,  a  manual  of  prayers, 
and  is  now  in  the  British  Museum. 

Lady  Jane's  speech  from  the  scaffold  has  been  variously 
rendered,  but  the  following  is  generally  accepted  as 
correct,  inasmuch  as  any  document  can  be,  when  the 
hearer  has  to  trust  mostly  to  his  memory. 

"  Fyrst  whan  she  mounted  on  the  scaffolde,  she  sayd 
to  the  people  standynge  thereabout,  good  people,  I  com 
hether  to  die,  and  by  a  lawe  I  am  condemned  to  the 
same.  The  facte,  indede  against  the  Queene's  Highness 
was  unlawful,  and  the  consenting  thereunto  by  me,  but 
touching  the  procurement  and  desyre  therof  by  me,  or 
on  my  halfe,  I  doo  wash  my  handes  therof  in  innocencie 
before  God  and  the  face  of  you  christian  people  this  day, 
and  therwith  she  wrong  her  hands,  in  which  she  had  her 
booke.  Then  she  sayd,  I  pray  you  all  good  christian 
people  to  bear  me  v^tnes  that  I  dye  a  true  Christian 
woman,  and  that  I  looke  to  be  saved  by  none  other 
meane  but  only  by  the  mercy  of  God,  in  the  merites  of 
the  bloud  of  his  onlye  sonne  Jesus  Christe,  and  I  confesse 
when  I  dyd  know  the  word  of  God,  I  neglected  the  same, 
and  loved  myselfe  and  the  world,  and  therefore  this 
plague  or  punyshment  is  happely  and  worthely  happened 

'  Chronicles  of  Queen  'jane  and  Oueen  Mary. 


THE   QUEEN   OF  NINE  DAYS  167 

unto  me  for  my  sinnes.  And  yet  I  thanke  God  of  his 
goodnes  that  he  hath  thus  geven  me  a  tyme  and  respet  to 
repent.  And  now  good  people,  while  I  am  alyve  I  pray 
you  to  assyst  me  with  your  prayers."^ 

Then  she  kneeled  down  and  asked  the  priest  whether 
she  might  repeat  a  Psalm,  and  being  given  perniission, 
"  said  the  psalm  of  Miserere  niei  Deus  in  Enghsh,  in 
most  devout  maner  to  the  end."  Having  finished  her 
devotions,  this  child  of  seventeen,  for  that  was  all  her 
age,  stood  up  and  prepared  to  undress  for  the  sacrifice. 
To  her  maid  Tylney  she  gave  her  gloves  and  handker- 
chief, and  proceeded  to  undo  her  dress.  The  executioner 
with  kindly,  though  excessive  zeal,  offered  to  help  ;  but 
she  turned  to  her  women  for  such  assistance  as  was 
necessary.  She  next  removed  her  head-dress,  and  the 
kerchief  about  her  neck,  and  was  handed  a  bandage  with 
which  to  bind  her  eyes. 

"  Then  the  hangman  kneled  down,  and  asked  her 
forgevenes,  whom  she  forgave  most  wiUingly.  Then  he 
willed  her  to  stand  upon  the  strawe,  which  doing  she 
sawe  the  blocke.  Then  she  sayd  I  pray  you  despatche 
me  quickly.  Then  she  kneled  downe  saying  '  Will  you 
take  it  of  before  I  lay  me  downe  ?  '  And  the  hangman 
answered  her  '  No,  madame.'  She  tied  the  kercher 
about  her  eyes.  Then  feehng  for  the  block,  saide 
'  What  shal  I  do,  where  is  it  ?  '  One  of  the  standers  by 
guyding  her  therunto,  she  layde  her  head  downe  upon 
the  block,  and  stretched  forth  her  body,  and  said  '  Lord 
unto  thy  handes  I  commend  my  spirite,'  and  so  she 
ended."- 

A  brave  and  gallant  lady,  than  whom  no  man  could 
have  borne  himself  braver,  and  few  so  brave  ;  she  hes  in 
a  nameless  grave  in  the  Chapel  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula  in 
the  Tower  of  London.  Her  only  epitaph  is  the  simple 
word  JANE  engraved  so  deep  in  the  ancient  walls  of  the 

^  Chronicles  of  Queen  Jane  and  Oueen  Mary. 
•  Archceoloo'ia,  Vol.  XII. 


i68  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Beauchamp  Tower,  that  after  nearly  four  centuries  it 
stands  as  clear  as  at  that  day.  It  remained  for  a  far- 
distant  age  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Victoria  to  piece 
together  the  pathetic  story,  and  to  place  side  by  side  in 
everlasting  memory  the  names  of  those  two  who  spent 
together  a  few  stormy  years  on  earth,  and  together 
passed  through  to  eternal  peace  in  the  great  Beyond. 


XII 

THE   KNIGHT  ADVENTURER 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh  three  times  prisoner  in  the  Tower — His  first 
misadventure — A  maid  of  honour  to  the  Queen — Marriage 
leads  to  the  Tower — Queen  Elizabeth  much  displeased — A 
theatrical  fracas — The  golden  bridge  to  royal  favour — The 
"  Madre  de  Dios  " — Her  precious  cargo — ^2,500,000 — The 
Queen's  share — Ransom  of  Raleigh — The  Queen  dies — James  I 
dislikes  Raleigh  heartily — Tried  for  treason — Second  imprison- 
ment in  the  Tower — Eleven  years  in  the  Bloody  Tower — The 
Balsam  of  Guiana — The  Prince  of  Wales  dies  of  it — James  I 
baits  the  bears — The  potato  and  tobacco — The  second 
expedition  to  Guiana — Failure — Return  to  the  Tower — 
Tried  again — Sentenced  to  death — Executed  in  Palace  Yard — 
His  head  embalmed  and  taken  by  his  wife. 

SIR  WALTER  RALEIGHi  was  one  of  the  most 
famous  men  who  have  been  imprisoned  in  the 
Tower,  and  he  must  have  known  the  place  well, 
for  first  and  last  he  lived  there  for  upwards  of 
thirteen  years.  His  first  incarceration  was  due  to  a 
shght  error  of  judgment  in  making  love  to  one  of  Queen 
Elizabeth's  maids  of  honour,  at  a  time  when  that  august 
sovereign  considered  him  her  own  private  property.  He 
was  at  this  time  and  had  been  for  some  years,  the  Queen's 
favourite,  whatever  that  may  mean  ;  but  it  evidently 
precluded  making  love  to  anybody  else.  The  maid  of 
honour  in  question  was  Ehzabeth  Throgmorton,  a  god- 
daughter of  the  Queen,  and  the  daughter  of  Sir  Nicholas 
Throgmorton,  who  had  died  when  she  was  an  infant. 
There  seems  little  doubt  that  Sir  Walter  was,  as  may  be 
the  way  with  soldiers  and  sailors,  perhaps  a  little  too 

1  Sir  Walter  spelt  his  name  "  Rawely  "  in  an  early  document,  which 
gives  an  indication  as  to  the  pronunciation. 

169 


170  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

impetuous  in  this  matter,  so  that  an  early  marriage 
became  of  some  importance,  at  any  rate  to  the  lady. 

Sir  Walter  was  on  the  eve  of  sailing  on  his  great 
Panama  Expedition,  indeed  he  had  actually  sailed  and 
was  well  at  sea,  when  he  was  overtaken  by  a  fast  ship 
with  orders  for  him  to  hand  over  command  to  Frobisher, 
and  to  return  to  England  at  once.  The  reason  for  recall 
was  no  great  State  crime  or  misdemeanour,  but  the 
discovery  by  Queen  Elizabeth  of  the  clandestine  corre- 
spondence between  Raleigh  and  Elizabeth  Throgmorton. 
Sovereigns  were  absolute  in  those  days,  and  could  without 
tedious  formalities,  or  much  legal  justification,  commit 
to  the  Tower  persons  who  had  incurred  their  displeasure. 
Thither  therefore  went  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  for  his  first 
period  of  imprisonment.  It  was  not  onerous,  and  he  was 
allowed  freedom  to  walk  about  within  the  Tower  walls, 
and  to  dine  at  the  table  of  the  Lieutenant.  He  was  also 
permitted,  not,  we  may  imagine,  by  Queen  Elizabeth, 
but  by  those  who  saw  therein  a  deadly  certainty  of 
undermining  his  influence  with  Her  Majesty,  to  marry 
Elizabeth  Throgmorton.  This  ceremony,  according  to 
tradition,  took  place  in  St.  Thomas'  Tower,  and  prob- 
ably in  St.  Thomas'  Oratory,  which  forms  part  of  that 
building.    This  was  in  15  91. 

In  spite,  however,  of  this  very  seemly  marriage,  Sir 
Walter,  knowing  his  sovereign's  weaknesses,  still  professed 
unbounded  admiration  for  her.  With  the  intent  doubtless 
of  impressing  this  view  on  the  bystanders,  and  hoping 
that  thus  it  would  reach  the  notice  of  the  Queen,  he  on 
one  occasion  engaged  in  a  melodramatic  brawl  with  Sir 
George  Carew,  the  Master  of  the  Ordnance,  in  whose 
care  he  was.  Having  selected  a  prominent  position, 
probably  in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings,  which  is  very 
visible  from  the  river,  he  took  the  occasion  when  the 
Queen  was  passing  beneath  by  boat  to  fall  upon  Sir 
George  Carew,  and  to  wrestle  and  strive  with  him,  in 
the  ostensible  effort  to  break  forth,  and  cast  himself  at 
his  mistress's  feet.  Sir  Arthur  Gorges,  Raleigh's  cousin, 
who   was   standing    by,    quaintly    describes    the   scene. 


THE   KNIGHT  ADVENTURER  171 

According  to  him  Sir  George  Carew  "  the  trusty  jailer 
would  none  of  that  ;  for  displeasing  the  higher  powers, 
as  he  said,  which  he  more  resented  than  the  feeding  of 
his  humour,  and  so  flatly  refused  to  permit  him.  Upon 
this  dispute  they  fell  flat  to  choleric  outrageous  words, 
with  straining  and  strugghng  at  the  doors,  and  in  the 
fury  of  the  conflict,  Carew  he  had  his  new  periwig  torn 
off  his  crown,  and  yet  here  struggle  ended  not,  for  at 
last  they  had  gotten  out  their  daggers.  Which  when  I 
saw,  I  played  the  stickler  between  them,  and  so  pur- 
chased such  a  rap  on  the  knuckles  that  I  wished  both 
their  pates  broken,  and  so  with  much  ado  they  stayed 
their  brawl  to  see  my  bloody  fingers.  At  first  I  was  ready 
to  break  with  laughter  to  see  them  two  scramble  and 
brawl  like  madmen.  ...  Sir  Walter  swears  that  he  shall 
hate  Carew  for  so  restraining  him  from  the  sight  of  his 
mistress.  .  .  .  Thus  they  continued  in  malice  and 
snarling." 

Raleigh  also  wrote  respectfully  amorous  letters  to  the 
Queen,  which,  however,  there  is  no  evidence  to  show  he 
first  submitted  to  the  inspection  of  his  lawful  spouse. 
But  the  Queen  felt  deeply  injured,  not  perhaps  so  much 
in  the  matter  of  the  heart  as  in  the  more  sensitive  centre, 
which  in  the  French  language  is  known  as  amour  frofre. 
To  be  supplanted,  and  that  secretly,  under  her  own 
royal  nose,  by  her  maid  of  honour,  and  not  a  great 
beauty  at  that,  was  indeed  a  wound  that  could  not 
easily  be  healed.  How  long  the  Queen  would  have 
remained  obdurate  one  cannot  say  ;  probably  only  until 
her  next  quarrel  with  the  Earl  of  Essex  warmed  her 
middle-aged  heart  towards  her  old  admirer.  But  for- 
tunately for  Raleigh  a  golden  bridge,  which  made  an 
arch  straight  to  the  Queen's  cupidity,  suddenly  shortened 
his  imprisonment.  Great  Queen  though  she  was,  Ehza- 
beth  was  not  only  a  lady  with  a  large  heart,  but  also 
it  must  be  confessed  singularly  fond  of  money  ;  she 
might  even  by  the  more  critical  have  been  termed 
avaricious. 

The  single   great   prize   of   the  Panama   Expedition, 


172  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

which  had  now  returned,  was  the  Spanish  galleon  the 
Madre  de  Dios.  She  was  of  600  tons  burden,  and  had 
seven  decks,  whilst  her  cargo,  which  consisted  of  spices, 
musk,  amber,  ebony,  precious  stones,  and  pearls,  was 
valued  at  ^500,000,  equal  to  £2,500,000  at  the  present 
day.  The  prize  crew,  who  were  mostly  ruffians  of  the 
piratical  type,  insisted  on  taking  the  ship  into  several 
ports  before  returning  to  England,  and  there  disposed, 
for  their  own  benefit,  of  a  goodly  portion  of  this  valuable 
cargo. 

Even  after  the  ship  came  to  anchor  at  Dartmouth  the 
pillaging  continued,  and  the  officers  could  in  no  way 
stop  it.  Queen  Elizabeth  after  the  manner  of  the  times 
had  a  considerable  sum  privately  invested  in  this  venture, 
and  was  sorely  annoyed  that  her  dividends  should  thus 
be  squandered.  In  this  dilemma  Raleigh,  who  was 
beloved  of  the  sailors,  was  called  in  to  settle  matters,  and 
to  divide  the  booty.  For  this  purpose  he  was  condition- 
ally released  from  the  Tower,  and  sent  to  Dartmouth. 
There  he  found  that  depredations,  and  the  purloining 
of  easily  removable  articles,  such  as  pearls  and  precious 
stones,  had  reduced  the  value  of  the  prize  to  £150,000 
or  £750,000  of  our  money.  The  Queen's  share  had 
been  calculated  at  one-tenth  of  all  booty  taken,  but 
Raleigh  determined  to  forgo  entirely  his  own  share  and 
to  award  to  Her  Majesty  half  the  total  sum  realized. 
This  in  the  blunt  habits  of  the  age  was  a  direct  bribe  to 
the  Queen,  though  ransom  it  was  called.  In  Raleigh's 
own  words,  "  Four  score  thousand  pounds^  is  more  than 
ever  a  man  presented  Her  Majesty  as  yet.  If  God 
hath  sent  it  for  my  ransom  I  hope  Her  Majesty  of 
Her  abundant  goodness  will  accept  it."  Perhaps  it  is 
needless  to  say  that  Her  Majesty  gladly  accepted  the 
offer.  Raleigh  was  consequently  released  from  the 
Tower,  and  allowed  to  retire  to  Sherborne  Castle,  his 
country  seat. 

On  Raleigh's  great  and  stormy  career  we  can  here 
only  touch  but  Hghtly,  for  our  business  is  with  the 
1  j^400,ooo  of  our  money. 


THE   KNIGHT  ADVENTURER  173 

Tower  of  London,  and  those  who  came  and  went. 
When  Queen  EHzabeth  died  in  1603  and  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh  was  iifty-one  there  came  to  the  throne  his  bitter 
and  implacable  enemy,  James  I.  What  the  original 
cause  of  the  enmity  may  have  been  is  difhcult  to  dis- 
cover ;  but  what  is  easily  to  be  understood  is  that  the 
brave  but  half  piratical  sea  dog,  who  might  shine  in  the 
spacious  days  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  would  not  be  a 
persona  grata  with  a  sovereign  of  entirely  dissimilar 
views  and  habits. 

Raleigh  was  coldly  received  by  the  new  monarch,  who 
showed  his  peculiar  sense  of  humour  by  making  an 
atrocious  pun  on  the  celebrated  knight  adventurer's 
name.  The  cat  was  playing  with  the  mouse  before  the 
King  definitely  arraigned  Sir  Walter  for  treason,  the 
charge  being  that  he  was  concerned  in  the  two  plots  known 
as  the  "  Main "  and  "  Bye."  These  plots,  originated 
purely  by  the  priests,  were  a  clerical  affair  connected 
with  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  ;  but  into  them  as  a 
side  and  auxiliary  issue  were  introduced  the  somewhat 
distant  claims  of  Lady  Arabella  Stuart  to  the  throne. 

It  seems  highly  improbable,  and  is  stoutly  denied  by 
himself,  that  Raleigh,  who  was  not  a  Roman  Catholic, 
and  had  no  political  connection  whatever  v^th  Arabella 
Stuart,  should  have  been  involved.  He  had  only  once 
seen  this  lady,  when  she  was  twelve  years  old,  and  had 
then  cordially  disliked  her  ;  nor  does  it  seem  likely  that 
he  would  enter  into  a  plot  to  further  the  Roman  Catholic 
cause,  the  object  of  which  was  to  place  a  Roman  Catholic 
sovereign  on  the  throne.  However,  in  those  days, 
whom  the  King  wanted  to  destroy  he  generally  did  ; 
not  necessarily  by  knife  or  prison  as  in  still  earlier 
ages ;  but  equally  effectively  by  the  subversion  of  legal 
procedure. 

Thus  Raleigh  was  tried  on  a  multiplicity  of  charges, 
the  kernel  of  all  being  that  he  had  conspired  to  dethrone 
and  murder  the  King,  and  to  place  thereon  Arabella 
Stuart.  Owing  to  the  prevalence  of  plague  in  London 
the  trial  was  held  at  Winchester,  and  is  one  of  the  most 


174  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

shocking  travesties  of  legal  procedure  which  the  history  of 
any  country  can  produce.  The  demeanour  and  language 
of  the  Judge,  as  well  as  of  the  Counsel  for  the  prosecution, 
towards  one  of  the  greatest  men  of  the  age,  is  such  that 
unless  we  had  the  documentary  evidence  before  us,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  believe.  The  days  of  chivalry  had 
indeed  passed  when  it  was  possible  for  a  lawyer,  even 
under  protection  of  the  Court,  to  use  such  language  to  a 
prisoner  of  distinction. 

The  leader  in  this  dastardly  affair  of  the  Courts  was 
one  Sir  Edward  Coke,  the  Attorney-General,  a  lawyer  of 
considerable  repute,  but  of  deplorable  manners  and 
language.  Before  a  packed  bench,  refused  counsel  for 
the  defence,  faced  by  the  three  best,  and  apparently 
three  of  the  most  unscrupulous  lawyers  of  the  day. 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh's  fate  was  decided  before  he  en- 
tered the  Court.  Such  was  justice,  in  the  days  of 
James  I.  Nevertheless  the  prisoner  was  not  to  be 
trampled  upon  without  a  fight.  For  with  such  abihty 
did  he  conduct  his  defence,  and  with  so  noble  a 
mien,  that  there  is  not  a  shadow  of  a  doubt  that 
any  impartial  Court  would  have  acquitted  him.  But 
the  Court  was  not  impartial,  it  was  merely  giving 
legal  expression  to  the  wishes  of  the  King.  On  the 
evidence  of  one  witness  only,  who  was  not  even  called, 
and  who  was  known  to  be  a  rascal  of  the  deepest  dye. 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh  was  condemned  to  death.  The 
sentence  was,  however,  held  in  abeyance,  and  the 
prisoner  on  December  i6th,  1603,  was  sent  back  to  the 
Tower. 

His  place  of  detention  this  time  was  the  Bloody 
Tower,  but  he  appears  to  have  enjoyed  considerable 
freedom.  His  -wife  and  son  lived  with  him,  he  dined 
frequently  at  the  Lieutenant's  table,  he  was  made  free 
of  the  Lieutenant's  garden.  His  chief  exercise  was, 
however,  taken  on  the  ramparts  between  the  Bloody 
Tower  and  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings,  known  to  this 
day  as  Raleigh's  walk.  Here  he  could  not  only  see  the 
river  and  all  that  passed  up  and  down,  but  could  be  seen 


THE   KNIGHT  ADVENTURER  175 

of  the  citizens  of  London,  who  of  an  evening  would  gather 
on  the  Tower  wharf,  and  gaze  on  the  richly  clad  celebrity. 
Sir  George  Harvey,  the  Lieutenant,  also  placed  at  his 
disposal  a  chicken  house  in  his  garden,  which  Sir  Walter 
had  improved  into  a  diminutive  laboratory,  where  he 
delighted  to  labour  at  his  chemical  researches.  It  was 
here,  as  before  mentioned,  that  he  discovered  the  art  of 
distilling  fresh  water  from  salt  water,  an  art  afterwards 
lost  for  many  years  ;  and  here  it  was  that  he  invented 
his  celebrated  Balsam  of  Guiana,  which  was  reputed, 
and  faithfully  believed  by  many  to  have  all  the  virtues 
claimed  by  patent  medicines  of  the  present  day.  A 
more  critical  age  has,  however,  pronounced  that  the 
Balsam  of  Guiana  was  "  an  appalhng  concoction  con- 
taining amongst  other  nauteous  ingredients  the  flesh  of 
vipers."  It  seems  to  have  taken  instantaneous  effect  on 
the  young  Prince  of  Wales,  for  after  taking  two  drops 
of  it,  he  preferred  death  to  another  dose.  The  death  of 
this  young  Prince  was  a  heavy  blow  to  Sir  Walter,  which 
at  once  removed  the  smallest  suspicion  that  the  Balsam 
was  treacherously  administered.  Both  Queen  Anne  and 
Henry,  Prince  of  Wales,  were  warm  friends  of  Raleigh  ; 
and  both,  especially  the  Prince,  strove  continuously  to 
influence  the  King  in  his  favour. 

On  one  occasion  in  1604,  Raleigh  was  temporarily 
transferred  to  the  Fleet  prison,  the  occasion  being  a  visit 
of  King  James  to  the  bear  pit  at  the  Tower,  which 
formed  part  of  the  Royal  menagerie  near  the  Lion 
Tower.  It  was  this  sporting  monarch's  pleasure  to  see 
dogs  baiting  the  bears,  and  as  his  presence  by  custom 
included  the  amnesty  of  all  prisoners  confined  in  the 
Tower,  the  simple  expedient  was  resorted  to  of  re- 
moving elsewhere  those  whom  it  was  not  desired  to 
amnesty  during  the  King's  visit.  Hence  Raleigh,  whom 
it  was  not  desired  to  release,  was  removed  elsewhere  for 
the  time  being. 

On  his  return  plague  again  broke  out  in  the  Tower,  in 
consequence  of  which  Lady  Raleigh  and  her  son  Walter, 
then  ten  years  old,  were  removed  to  lodgings  outside. 


176  TPxE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

The  following  year  Sir  George  Harvey,  who  was  deemed 
too  humane  a  jailer,  was  replaced  by  Sir  William  Waad  as 
Lieutenant,  and  the  prisoner's  privileges  were  restricted. 
Sir  Walter  was  not  allowed  to  walk  so  that  he  could  be 
seen  of  the  citizens,  and  he  was  obliged  to  withdraw  to 
his  quarters  for  the  night  when  the  afternoon  bell  rang. 
Wives  of  prisoners  were  no  longer  allowed  to  reside  in 
the  Tower,  and  it  was  forbidden  for  them  to  drive  into 
the  fortress  in  their  coaches  as  hitherto. 

In  1606  Raleigh's  state  of  health  was  such  that  the 
medical  men  advised  his  removal  to  drier  and  better 
quarters  than  the  Bloody  Tower.  St.  Thomas'  Tower, 
which  stands  just  opposite  over  the  Traitor's  Gate, 
where  Raleigh  was  married,  was  suggested  as  a  suitable 
change.  But  this  residence  was  considered  too  much  in 
the  public  eye,  being  close  to  the  wharf  where  the 
public  were  admitted,  and  also  deemed  not  very  safe 
keeping  for  an  important  State  prisoner.  The  washes  of 
the  doctors  were,  however,  met  by  allowing  Sir  Walter 
to  occupy  a  little  shed,  which  must  have  been  run  up 
adjoining  his  hen-house  laboratory  in  the  Lieutenant's 
garden. 

In  passing  let  us  remember  that  Sir  Walter  Raleigh 
introduced  two  great  blessings  to  Europe.  The  one  was 
the  potato,  and  the  other  tobacco.  He  also  invented  a 
patent  wine,  but  how  it  was  decocted  history  does  not 
relate.  That  it  was  a  popular  beverage  may  be  judged 
from  the  fact  that  Lady  Raleigh  later  complained  that 
her  husband  lost  "  £6,000  and  _£3,ooo,"i  when  the 
patent  was  summarily  transferred  by  James  I  to  Lord 
Howard  of  Effingham. 

It  was  during  this  long  imprisonment  that  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh  wrote  many  treatises  ;  his  most  celebrated  being 
The  History  of  the  World.  This  book,  which  was  pub- 
lished in  1 614,  ran  through  eleven  editions  in  the  course 
of  the  next  hundred  years  ;  a  rare  testimony  to  one  who, 
am.ongst  his  other  accomplishments,  is  described  as  a 
master  of  English  prose. 

1  Equivalent  to  ^^30,000  and  ^15,000  at  this  day. 


THE   KNIGHT  AVDENTURER  177 

By  a  liberal  use  of  the  wealth  still  remaining  to  him 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh  at  length  bought  his  release  in  161 7, 
but  only  on  condition  that  he  was  to  lead  the  second 
expedition  to  Guiana.  This  expedition  was  planned  on 
the  Tudor  lines  encouraged  by  Queen  Elizabeth.  That 
is  to  say  the  undertaking  was  partly  financed  and  aided 
by  the  King,  on  the  tacit  understanding  that  if  it  suc- 
ceeded the  greater  part  of  the  profit  and  glory  were  to 
be  his  ;  whilst  if  it  failed,  or  embroiled  him  with  foreign 
powers,  he  could  at  once  disown  it,  and  punish  those 
whom  he  had  sent  forth.  Under  these  not  too  favour- 
able conditions  the  expedition  set  forth  ;  but  whereas  in 
Elizabeth's  reign  a  venture  of  this  description  could 
count  on  some  share  of  fair  play,  under  James  it  had 
none  whatever. 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  get  hold  of  the  exact  atmo- 
sphere which  allowed  of  these  undertakings  in  times  of 
international  peace  ;  and  which  allowed  of  their  prose- 
cution without  precipitating  a  European  War.  We  can- 
not, for  instance,  at  this  day  conceive  the  possibility  of  a 
fleet  of  privateers,  supported  by  a  couple  of  H.M.'s 
ships  of  war,  steaming  off  to  Sumatra  or  Java,  and 
there  after  effecting  a  forcible  landing  to  prospect  for 
gold  mines,  without  involving  a  declaration  of  war. 
Yet  so  it  was  in  those  times,  and  thus  it  was  with  the 
second  expedition  to  Guiana.  Where  this  British 
expedition  had  fewer  chances  of  success  than  its  prede- 
cessors lay  in  the  fact  that  there  was  a  traitor  within  the 
gates,  and  that  traitor  was  James  I,  King  of  England. 
Where  secrecy  was  of  vital  importance,  James  sold  his 
people,  if  not  for  cash,  from  sheer  poltroonery  to  the 
Spaniards.  The  morality  of  the  whole  venture  is  doubt- 
ful, but  the  immorality  of  James  I  blazes  to  the  heavens. 
The  expedition  ending  in  failure  and  disaster,  Raleigh 
sailed  home  to  face  the  music.  The  Spaniards  at  first 
demanded  that  he  should  be  handed  over  to  them,  that 
they  might  hang,  draw,  and  quarter  him  in  the  public 
square  of  Madrid ;  and  this  ultimatum  James  was 
perfectly  prepared  to  accept.     But  on  second  thoughts 


178  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

the  Spaniards  merely  demanded  that  the  great  and  hated 
Enghshman  should  be  done  to  death  in  his  own  country. 
It  seems  difficult  to  think  that  a  nation,  which  in  those 
days  could  so  dictate  to  England,  can  now  be  coerced 
into  an  undignified  impotence  by  a  few  German  sub- 
marines. 

Landing  at  Plymouth,  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  was  by 
the  King's  orders  arrested,  taken  to  London  and  in 
August,  1618,  found  himself  for  a  third  time  a  prisoner 
in  the  Tower.  During  this  final  incarceration  Raleigh 
was  first  accommodated  in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings,  Sir 
Allan  Apsley  being  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower ;  and  both 
he  and  Lady  Apsley  appear  to  have  been  specially  kind 
to  the  prisoner,  the  latter  especially  helping  with  the 
means  to  carry  on  his  experiments  in  his  old  laboratory 
in  the  Lieutenant's  garden.  Shortly  afterwards  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Wardrobe  Tower,  and  placed  in  the 
separate  charge  of  Sir  Thomas  Wilson,  a  hireling  knave 
of  the  King,  who  combined  the  functions  of  jailer,  spy, 
and  informer-  According  to  some  writers  he  was 
suppHed  with  secret  instructions  to  poison  his  illustrious 
captive,  or  even  to  do  away  with  him  as  had  been  the 
young  Princes  in  a  previous  reign.  Sir  Allan  Apsley,  who 
appears  to  have  been  an  upright  man,  had  grave  suspicions 
of  the  miserable  Wilson,  and  at  first  stoutly  refused  to 
give  up  to  him  the  key  of  Sir  Walter's  room,  or  allow 
him  access  thereto  at  unauthorized  hours.  Wilson, 
however,  prevailed,  so  that  an  order  from  the  Star 
Chamber  compelled  Sir  Allan  Apsley  to  hand  over  the 
keys  to  Wilson,  and  to  transfer  Sir  Walter  to  the  Brick 
Towner.  Wilson  having,  however,  failed  in  his  nefarious 
designs,  whatever  they  were,  resource  was  had  to  a 
prostitution  of  the  law. 

King  James  was  advised  that  no  legal  case  could  be 
made  out  against  the  prisoner,  which  would  not  equally 
apply  to  His  Majesty  himself  ;  it  was  therefore  decided 
to  rake  up  the  old  charge  of  fifteen  years  back,  and  again 
arraign  Sir  Walter  on  that.  Afraid  lest  he  should  escape, 
if  tried  by  judge  and  jury,  the  King  decided  that  his 


THE   KNIGHT  ADVENTURER  179 

fate  should  be  decided  by  a  picked  body  of  commissioners. 
To  justify  in  some  way  this  new  trial  certain  additional 
charges  were  made  in  connection  with  the  Guiana 
expedition.  This  was  apparently  to  pacify  public  opinion, 
which  was  much  confused,  and  much  in  the  dark.  To 
avoid  further  delay  the  Justices  of  the  King's  Bench 
were,  however,  directed  to  give  execution  to  the  old 
sentence  of  1603.  On  October  28th,  161 8,  Raleigh, 
shivering  with  ague,  was  brought  from  the  Tower  to 
receive  his  sentence,  which  Chief  Justice  Montague  pro- 
nounced with  feeling  and  courtesy.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh 
was  to  be  beheaded  next  day  in  Palace  Yard,  in  front  of 
the  Houses  of  Parliament  at  Westminster. 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  who  was  now  sixty-six  years  of 
age,  spent  the  last  night  of  his  life  in  the  Gate  House  at 
Westminster.  His  last  hours  were  in  all  respects  those 
of  a  great  man,  and  a  great  knight.  After  a  most 
touching  farewell  with  his  wife,  who  for  six-and-twenty 
years  had  been  his  faithful  and  devoted  partner,  he 
spent  the  night  in  drawing  up  two  testaments.  In 
the  one  he  endeavoured  to  do  justice  to  any  possible 
wrong  he  may  inadvertently  have  done  to  a  former 
agent  named  Pyne.  In  the  other  he  formally  and 
solemnly  declared  his  innocence  of  the  charges  brought 
against  him. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  October  29th  the  Dean  of 
Westminster,  Dr.  Robert  Tounson,  gave  him  his  last 
sacrament,  after  which  he  expressed  his  forgiveness  to  all 
those  who  had  injured  him,  and  again  solemnly  declared 
his  innocence.  Then  he  breakfasted  and  smoked  his  last 
pipe  of  tobacco.  As  he  still  smoked  the  summons  came, 
and  as  he  passed  out  of  the  door  he  drank  a  cup  of  sack 
which  was  offered  to  him. 

Round  the  scaffold  in  Palace  Yard  an  immense  multitude 
had  assembled  to  see  the  great  Englishman  die.  In  Sir 
Randolph  Carew's  balcony  hard  by,  were  his  friends 
Arundel,  Northampton,  and  Doncaster ;  and  these 
being  too  far  off  to  hear  his  words  came  down,  and 
approaching   the   scaffold,   shook   him   warmly   by   the 


i8o  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

hand.  His  dying  declaration  took  twenty-five  minutes 
to  deliver,  and  could  plainly  be  heard  by  the  multitude. 
In  it  he  again  and  at  length  refuted  all  the  charges 
brought  against  him.  Having  thus  concluded  his 
justification  he  added,  "  And  nov^  I  entreat  that  you  will 
all  join  with  me  that  great  God  of  heaven  whom  I  have 
grievously  offended,  that  He  will  of  His  almighty  good- 
ness extend  to  me  forgiveness,  being  a  man  full  of  vanity, 
and  one  who  hath  lived  a  sinful  life  in  such  callings  as 
have  been  most  inducing  to  it  ;  for  I  have  been  a  soldier, 
a  sailor,  and  a  courtier,  all  of  them  courses  of  vdckedness 
and  vice  ;  but  I  trust  He  will  not  only  cast  away  my 
sin,  but  receive  me  into  everlasting  life."  Then  he 
added  with  a  calm  and  pleasant  smile,  "  I  have  a  long 
journey  to  take,  and  must  bid  the  company  farewell." 

As  he  was  about  to  kneel  before  the  block  the  Dean 
suggested  that  he  should  kneel  so  as  to  face  the  east.  Sir 
Walter  complied,  remarking  as  he  did  so,  "  What  matter 
which  way  the  head  lie  so  the  heart  be  right."  He  re- 
fused to  have  his  eyes  bandaged  as  was  the  custom,  but 
told  the  executioner  that  he  would  himself  give  the 
signal  by  stretching  out  his  hands  when  the  blow  should 
fall.  After  one  last  brief  prayer  he  stretched  out  his 
hands,  and  another  great  Englishman  passed  through  the 
bitter  portals  of  the  scaffold  to  undying  fame. 

Wrapped  in  his  cloak  his  body  was  buried  in  St. 
Margaret's,  Westminster,  whilst  his  head,  embalmed, 
was  taken  away  by  Lady  Raleigh,  kept  by  her  during  the 
twenty-nine  years  of  her  widowhood,  and  it  is  believed 
was  buried  with  her. 

In  the  Bible  which  he  had  read  that  last  night  on 
earth  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  had  written  these  verses  : 

Even  such  is  time,  that  takes  on  trust 
Our  youth,  our  joys,  our  all  we  have 

And  pays  us  but  with  age  and  dust ; 
Who  in  the  dark  and  silent  grave 

When  we  have  wandered  all  our  ways 

Shuts  up  the  story  of  our  days ! 

But  from  this  earth,  this  grave,  this  dust, 

The  Lord  shall  raise  me  up,  I  trust. 


I 


JAMI'.^.,     DLIKK    Ol-     MoNMoriH 


XIII 
THE  UNCROWNED   KING 

James,  Duke  of  Monmouth — His  popularity  and  early  days — 
Marriage  and  rapid  rise  to  power — Anna  Scott,  Countess  of 
Buccleugh — Makes  a  bid  for  the  throne — Defeated  at  Sedge- 
moor — Captured  by  a  militiaman — ;^500o  reward — The 
Duke's  rules  of  life — Interview  with  the  King — Sent  to  the 
Tower — King  James's  letter  to  William  of  Orange — Lady 
Henrietta  Wentworth — Public  execution  ordered — "  Man  in 
the  Iron  Mask  " — Gay  and  debonair  on  the  scaffold — Feels 
the  edge  of  the  axe — His  declaration — His  harrowing  execution 
— Laid  beneath  the  altar  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula. 

CHARLES  II  may  have  been  a  good  king,  or  a 
bad  king,  but  as  the  Merry  Monarch  he  was 
undoubtedly  popular  with  his  contemporaries, 
and  has  remained  popular  with  posterity. 
For,  despite  foreign  quips  and  cranks  to  the  contrary,  the 
English  have  always  loved  merry  people,  be  they 
monarchs  or  monks.  He  may  be  good  and  merry,  or 
even  moderately  bad  and  merry,  but  merry  he  must  be 
to  catch  the  English  fancy. 

The  cloak  of  the  father  descended  upon  his  son,  for 
no  more  popular  figure  than  that  of  James,  Duke  of 
Monmouth,  appears  in  English  history.  His  romantic 
birth,  his  lightning  rise  to  fame  and  honours  the  highest, 
his  tragic  end  at  thirty-six,  would  alone  make  his  story 
arresting.  But  added  to  these  his  personal  beauty,  his 
charm  of  manner,  his  gay  and  gallant  bearing  won  all 
hearts,  and  wins  them  to  this  day. 

Without  entering  into  ancient  scandals,  this  James  was 
the  son  of  Charles  II  and  Lucy  Walters  ;  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  he  was  married  to  a  rich  young  lady  aged  twelve, 
and  was  created  Duke  of  Monmouth.     The  little  girl, 


1 82  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Anna  Scott,  was  Countess  of  Buccleugh  in  her  own 
right,  and  this  title  was  on  her  marriage  enlarged  to 
ducal  dignity,  and  added  to  that  of  Monmouth.  The 
Dukes  of  Buccleugh  of  the  present  day  are  descended 
from  Anna  Scott,  and  bear  her  surname.  Anna's  mother 
though  a  Countess,  apparently  had  great  difficulty  about 
her  spelling,  as  indeed  had  Anna  herself,  possibly  because 
she  left  school  so  early  to  enter  the  bonds  of  matrimony. 
Thus  the  mother,  in  writing  to  propose  the  marriage, 
addresses  Charles  II  as  her  "  Dried  Souerain  "  ;  whilst 
the  daughter  later  wrote  of  her  husband  as  the  "  Duck  " 
and  anon  "  Jeams."  She  also  fell  orthographically  over 
"  the  whole  Hows  of  Pears  "  ;  whilst  to  another  she 
wrote  that  she  "  valow  verie  much  "  his  friendship. 

James,  Duke  of  Monmouth,  would  have  been  no 
son  of  Charles  II  if  he  had  remained  faithful  to  this 
early  mariage  de  convenance ;  nor  did  he  delay  long 
in  emphasizing  this  inheritant  trait.  The  handsome 
boy  and  man,  idolized  by  his  father,  whose  frank  and 
engaging  manners  and  gallantry  as  a  soldier  endeared 
him  to  all,  rose  rapidly.  He  became,  as  year  succeeded 
year,  Lord  Great  Chamberlain  of  Scotland,  Chancellor 
of  Cambridge,  Master  of  the  Horse,  Knight  of  the 
Garter,  a  Privy  Councillor,  and  finally  Captain-General 
of  the  Forces.  And  thus  he  prospered  with  a  few  slight 
sets  back  as  long  as  Charles  II  Hved.  But  in  1685,  when 
James  II  came  to  the  throne,  ambition  seized  him  to 
reign  himself,  despite  the  bar  sinister. 

He  was  abroad  under  a  cloud  at  the  time  ;  but  being 
promised  good  support  landed  at  Lyme  Regis,  and 
fought  the  battle  of  Sedgemoor,  hoping  to  gain  a  crown. 
Here  he  was  signally  defeated  by  the  Royal  troops  under 
the  Earl  of  Faversham.  Before  daylight  the  next 
morning  the  Duke  of  Monmouth,  with  Lord  Grey  de 
Wark  and  three  others,  rode  from  the  disastrous  field, 
making  for  the  coast.  That  night  he  slept  in  the  house 
of  Edward  Strode,  Esq.,  one  and  a  half  miles  from 
Shepton  Mallet,  Next  morning  riding  as  far  as  Cran- 
bourne  Chase  the  Duke  found,  that  with  ^5000  on  his 


THE  UNCROWNED   KING  183 

head,  he  was  too  conspicuous  thus.  Therefore  at  Wood- 
yates  Inn  he  abandoned  his  horse,  and  disguised  as  a 
shepherd  wandered  off  with  one  retainer  Busse  by  name, 
"  the  Brandenburger,"  as  he  was  called.  A  party  of 
Dragoons,  under  Lord  Lumley  and  Sir  W.  Portman, 
who  were  scouring  this  part  of  the  country,  heard  of 
two  strangers  who  had  been  seen  by  Amy  Farrant,  a 
cottager,  climbing  over  the  hedge  into  a  wood.  Next 
morning  both  were  captured  ;  the  Duke  was  discovered 
by  a  militiaman  named  Henry  Perkin,  concealed  in  a 
ditch  at  the  foot  of  an  ash  tree,  and  covered  over  with 
ferns  and  brambles.  Little  was  found  on  him  ;  the 
only  item  of  interest  was  his  diary,  which,  still  showing 
how  it  had  been  soaked  with  rain,  may  be  seen  in  the 
British  Museum.  The  diary  is  as  diaries  may  be,  but 
contains  one  entry  of  considerable  interest,  as  throwing 
a  light  on  the  Duke  of  Monmouth's  rules  of  life.  These 
are  thirty  in  number  and  are  culled  from  Socrates,  Plato, 
Aristotle,  and  Cicero,  as  well  as  including  some  original 
inspirations.  They  are  written  in  French,  and  may  thus 
be  translated  : 

The  Duke  of  Monmouth's  Faith 

1.  Share  thy  secrets  with  no  one. 

2.  Speak  little  and  to  the  point. 

3.  Beware  of  wine  and  women. 

4.  Be  courteous  to  all, 

5.  —  familiar  with  few. 

6.  Flatter  no  one. 

7.  Reconnoitre  well  before  falling  in  love  (Connois 

avant  que  d'aimer). 

8.  Be  not  quick  to  blame. 

9.  Remember  always  who  thou  art. 

10.  Rejoice  not  in  others'  misfortunes. 

11.  Be  not  rash. 

12.  Be  true  in  word  and  deed. 

13.  (Partly  illegible). 

14.  Nothing  is  permanent  (Rein  n'est  permanent). 

15.  (Partly  illegible). 


i84  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

1 6.  Be  steadfast  in  adversity. 

17.  In  prosperity  be  calm  and  unelated. 

18.  Be  in  all  things  moderate. 

19.  Honour  the  great. 

20.  Despise  not  the  poor  and  needy. 

21.  By  your  deeds  shall  they  know  you,  rather  than 

by  your  words. 

22.  (Missing). 

23.  Be  content  with  your  lot. 

24.  Despise  not  thine  enemy. 

25.  Beware  of  ingratitude  and  dissimulation. 

26.  Be  merciful. 

27.  Beware  of  flattery,  avarice,  and  pride. 

28.  Be  diligent  in  thy  vocation. 

29.  Avoid  extremes  of  exuberance,  or  of  depression. 

30.  Remember  that  all  must  one  day  die. 

These  rules  of  life  are  exemplary,  and  if  the  Duke  had 
observed  them  he  would  not  have  found  himself  in  a 
wet  ditch,  covered  with  ferns  and  brambles,  at  the 
mercy  of  a  solitary  militiaman.  It  is  with  some  concern 
too  that  we  read  that  Henry  Perkin  only  received 
twenty  guineas,  out  of  the  bounteous  £5000  which  had 
been  dangled  before  his  eyes. 

The  remainder  of  the  tragedy  came  quickly  enough. 
The  Duke  of  Monmouth  and  Busse  were  taken  before  a 
local  magistrate,  Anthony  Etterick,  Esq.,  of  Holt  Lodge, 
and  by  him  remanded,  and  sent  under  escort  towards 
London.  Thus  by  way  of  Ringwood,  Farnham  Castle, 
and  Guildford  were  the  prisoners  conveyed  to  Vauxhall. 
Here  the  Duke  met  again  Lord  Grey  de  Wark,  who  had 
been  separately  captured.  Thence  barges  and  troops 
awaited  to  conduct  the  prisoners  to  Whitehall.  They 
dined  at  the  house  of  Thomas  Chifiinch,  son  of  Thomas 
Chifhnch,  who  was  Keeper  of  the  Jewels  to  Charles  II, 
and  who  had  been  of  the  King's  closet.  After  dinner 
the  Duke  of  Monmouth  obtained  an  audience  of  the 
King.  His  hands  were  loosely  bound  behind  him,  more 
as  a  token  than  as  a  restraint  ;    and  present  also  were 


THE  UNCROWNED   KING  185 

two  Secretaries  of  State,  Charles  Earl  of  Sunderland 
and  Middleton.  The  interview  lasted  for  forty  minutes  ; 
the  Duke's  chief  plea  being  that  he  had  been  led  into 
this  rebellion  by  the  Duke  ot  Argyll  and  the  Scottish 
preacher  Ferguson.  This  may  well  be  worthy  of  some 
belief,  for  Monmouth  was  of  the  easy-going,  generous 
type,  who  are  readily  influenced.  In  conclusion  he 
asked  for  pardon,  or  at  least  that  his  life  might  be  spared. 
James  IPs  autograph  letter  concerning  this  interview 
is  interesting.  It  is  addressed  to  his  son-in-law  William, 
Prince  of  Orange,  afterwards  William  III. 

Whitehall, 

July  i^th,  1685. 

"  I  have  had  yours  of  the  17th,  and  now  the  Duke  of 
Monmouth  is  brought  up  hither  with  Lord  Grey  and 
the  Brandenburger.  The  two  first  desired  very  earnestly 
to  speak  with  me,  as  having  things  of  importance  to  say 
to  me  ;  which  they  did,  but  did  not  answer  my  expecta- 
tion in  what  they  said  to  me.  The  Duke  of  Monmouth 
seemed  more  concerned  and  desirous  to  live,  and  did 
behave  himself  not  so  well  as  I  expected,  nor  do  as  one 
ought  to  have  expected  from  one  who  had  taken  upon 
him  to  be  king.  I  have  signed  the  warrant  for  his 
execution  to-morrow." 

James  II  was  as  good  as  his  word.  In  the  evening, 
after  the  interview,  the  Duke  of  Monmouth  and  Lord 
Grey  were  taken  by  water  to  the  Tower  in  the  King's 
barge,  closely  guarded  by  other  barges  filled  with  soldiers. 
To  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  was  handed  the  warrant 
of  committal. 

"  James,  Duke  of  Monmouth,  13  July,  for  high  treason 
in  levying  war  against  the  King  and  assuming  a  title  to 
the  Crown. "1 

He  was  placed  in  the  Bell  Tower,  and  occupied  the 
same    circular   vaulted   room   which   was    occupied    by 

^  Tower  MS.  Records 


1 86  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Queen  Elizabeth  when,  as  a  Princess,  she  was  a  prisoner 
in  the  Tower.  The  Duke's  imprisonment  lasted  only 
two  nights  and  one  day  before  his  execution.  He  was 
allowed  to  see  his  wife,  for  whom  he  had  no  great  affec- 
tion, and  his  children  ;  and  four  divines  were  in  con- 
stant attendance,  and  remained  with  him  to  the  end. 
These  appear  to  have  been  chiefly  concerned  in  endeavour- 
ing to  persuade  him  to  repent  of  his  affection  for  Lady 
Henrietta  Wentworth,  who  was  the  great  passion  of  his 
life.  One  historian  relates  that  these  good,  if  somewhat 
tactless,  prelates  kept  wrangling  with  the  Duke  on  this 
subject  all  the  way,  as  he  walked  up  Tower  Hill  to  the 
block. 

The  execution  was  to  be  public  for  political  reasons  ; 
for  many  doubted  whether  it  was  in  truth  the  Duke  who 
had  been  captured  and  imprisoned.  Personages  of  the 
Duke  of  Monmouth's  rank  and  birth  might,  in  accord- 
ance with  precedent,  have  been  beheaded  in  the  com- 
parative privacy  of  Tower  Green,  where  Queen  Anne 
Boleyn,  Queen  Katherine  Howard,  and  Lady  Jane  Grey 
suffered  ;  but  the  greater  publicity  of  Tower  Hill 
without  the  walls  was  considered  advisable.  How  great 
was  the  concourse  on  such  an  occasion  may  be  judged 
from  the  ancient  prints.  Rows  of  grand  stands  such  as 
may  be  seen  at  the  Derby  or  at  Ascot  were  erected 
which  held  thousands  of  people,  whilst  tens  of  thousands 
stood  round  or  occupied  coigns  of  vantage.  The  walls 
and  roofs  of  the  Tower  were  also  covered  with  spectators. 
Yet  in  spite  of  the  publicity  thus  ensured  there  were 
many  who  for  years  afterwards  refused  to  believe  that 
the  Duke  of  Monmouth  was  dead,  and  averred  that  a 
condemned  malefactor  had  taken  his  place  at  the  block. 
So  long  did  this  legend  last  that  some  firmly  believed 
that  the  "  Man  of  the  Iron  Mask  "  imprisoned  in  the 
Bastille  was  none  other  than  the  Duke  of  Monmouth. 

Whatever  may  have  been  his  bearing  whilst  still  he 
had  hopes  of  saving  his  life  by  softening  the  heart  of  the 
King,  he  rose  manfully  to  the  occasion  on  this  his  great 
and  last  day.     He  was  again  the  Duke  of  Monmouth 


THE  UNCROWNED   KING  187 

whom  the  people  loved,  and  some  almost  worshipped  ; 
brave,  gay,  and  debonair.  On  the  way  up  the  hill  he 
chatted  pleasantly  with  those  about  him,  and  buffeted 
good-naturedly  the  assaults  of  the  clergy.  When  he 
mounted  the  scaffold  a  groan  of  compassion  and  sorrow 
arose  from  the  assembled  thousands,  but  the  Duke  was 
quite  unmoved.  He  chatted  with  the  executioner, 
asked  if  the  axe  was  sharp,  felt  the  edge  of  it,  and  bade 
the  man  do  his  work  well  and  cleanly  ;  gave  him  a  present 
of  six  guineas,  and  told  his  servant  to  give  him  six  more 
if  he  did  his  work  well. 

The  Duke  made  no  set  speech,  such  as  was  customary 
and  expected,  but  spoke  a  few  sentences  about  Lady 
Henrietta  Wentworth,  who  was  evidently  his  last 
thought  on  earth.  To  his  servant,  Marshall,  he  gave  his 
gold  toothpick,  saying,  "  Give  this  to  the  person  to  whom 
you  are  to  deliver  the  other  things,"  the  person  being 
the  lady  he  loved.  He  also  handed  to  the  Sheriff's  a  short 
letter  to  the  King  : 

"  I  declare  that  the  title  of  King  was  forced  upon 
me,  and  that  it  was  very  much  contrary  to  my  opinion, 
when  I  was  proclaimed.  For  the  satisfaction  of  the 
world,  I  do  declare,  that  the  late  King  told  me  he  was 
never  married  to  my  mother.  Having  declared  this,  I 
hope  that  the  King,  who  is  now,  will  not  let  my  children 
suffer  on  this  account.  And  to  this  I  put  my  hand,  this 
fifteenth  day  of  July,  1685.  «  Monmouth." 

The  Duke  then  took  off  his  coat  and  his  peruke,  and 
having  said  a  short  prayer  knelt  down,  and  with  great 
composure  and  deliberation  fitted  his  neck  to  the  block. 
He  then  raised  his  head  and  asked  the  executioner  to  let 
him  feel  the  edge  of  the  axe  again,  and  remarked,  only  too 
truly  as  it  proved,  that  he  did  not  think  it  was  sharp 
enough.  He  had  no  cap,  or  bandage  over  his  eyes,  nor 
was  he  bound.  Whether  truly  the  axe  was  not  sharp 
enough,  or  the  executioner's  nerve  failed  him,  he 
assuredly   made   a   sorry   exhibition.     Three   blows   he 


1 88  THE  TOWER   FROM  WITHIN 

made,  and  failed  to  sever  the  head  ;  and  then  throwing 
down  the  axe  offered  forty  guineas  to  anyone  who 
would  complete  the  work.  But  he  was  ordered  to  take 
the  axe  again,  and  with  two  more  blows  completed  his 
gruesome  task.  It  may  be  some  consolation  to  the 
tender-hearted,  and  who  is  not  in  face  of  such  tragedy, 
that  the  second  blow  probably  struck  the  Duke  sense- 
less, and  the  rest  was  more  painful  to  the  onlookers  than 
to  the  victim. 

The  Duchess,  perhaps  somewhat  naturally,  did  not 
claim  his  body,  and  his  head  being  sewed  to  it,  the  Duke 
was  buried  lengthways,  north  and  south  under  the 
communion  table  in  the  Chapel  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula 
within  the  Tower.  Here  his  remains  were  found  in 
Queen  Victoria's  reign.  The  coffin  had  turned  to  dust 
and  the  legs  were  found  partly  resting  on  the  concrete 
foundations  of  the  eastern  wall.  There,  rearranged,  the 
bones  remain  to  this  day,  buried  close  to  the  two  Queens 
and  the  two  Dukes. 

In  the  Chapel  register,  distinct  and  clear,  may  be  read 
under  the  heading  1685,  "  James,  Duke  of  Monmouth, 
beheaded  on  Tower  Elill  y*    15^^^  and  buryed  y«    16*^ 

July-" 


XIV 

LIFE  AND   DEATH  IN  THE  TOWER 

Robert  Devereux,  Earl  of  Essex — His  boyhood — Attracts  Queen 
Elizabetl| — Refuses  to  kiss  her — Early  a  soldier — Rapid  rise — 
Annoys  the  Queen — Annoys  her  still  more  by  marrying — 
Again  in  the  field — Governor  of  Ireland — Relinquishes  it — 
The  Queen  "  with  her  hair  about  her  face  " — Essex  tried  and 
condemned,  but  reprieved — xA.ttempts  to  seize  the  Queen — A 
dash  for  the  Tower — Besieged  at  Drury  House — Capitulates — 
To  the  Tower  as  a  prisoner — Tried  and  condemned — The 
Devereux  Tower— Lady  Nottingham  and  the  ring — Executed 
on  Tower  Green — Buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula — The  Duke 
of  Suffolk's  head — Still  well  preserved — The  Duke  of  Norfolk 
— His  many  intrigues — Eloward  House — The  letter  under  the 
mattress — Sentence  and  death — Another  turbulent  noble — 
Lord  Grey  de  Wilton — Assaults  Lord  Southampton — Con- 
spiracies— The  farce  at  Winchester — Death  in  the  Tower — 
Lady  Arabella  Stuart — Her  career — Escape  and  capture — 
Imprisoned  in  the  Tower — Dies  insane — Buried  in  Westminster 
Abbey — Arthur  Capel,  Earl  of  Essex — Suspicious  death  in  the  ' 
Tower — Lieutenant  Lodi — Sir  Roger  Casement. 

IN  the  Tower  of  London  during  the  centuries  of 
its  existence  there  have  doubtless  been  thousands 
of  prisoners,  and  of  these  many  hundreds  have 
died  there,  or  only  left  it  for  the  scaffold,  the 
gallows,  or  the  stake.  The  records  of  the  great  majority 
of  these  human  tragedies  have  been  lost  or  destroyed,  so 
that  there  remain  only  a  few  of  the  more  prominent. 
Of  these  some  have  already  appeared  with  some  fullness 
of  detail  in  these  pages,  whilst  others  have  hitherto  only 
been  referred  to  incidentally. 

It  may  therefore  be  of  advantage,  as  throwing  more 
light  on  the  history  of  the  Tower,  to  give  some  further 
account  of  the  fate,  within  and  without  its  walls,  of  some 
of  these  human  landmarks. 

189 


190  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Robert  Devereux,  Earl  of  Essex 

Whether  born,  bred,  or  acquired,  undoubtedly  a  hot 
and  hasty  temper,  impatience  of  control,  and  unyielding 
stubbornness  of  character,  brought  a  bright,  brave,  and 
attractive  nobleman,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-four,  to 
the  blood-stained  block  on  Tower  Green. 

Left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  nine,  Robert  Devereux 
became  Earl  of  Essex  ;  but  so  impoverished  a  peer  that 
only  by  the  generosity  of  his  guardian,  Lord  Burghley,  was 
he  educated  and  clothed.  At  this  seeming  tender  age 
he  was  sent  as  an  undergraduate  to  Trinity  College, 
Cambridge.  A  bright  and  good-looking  little  lad,  he  was 
the  following  Xmas  when  ten  years  old  invited  by 
Queen  Elizabeth  to  spend  his  holidays  with  her.  It  was 
thus  early  that  there  became  evident  a  certain  haughty 
independence,  which  accounted  for  much  of  his  after 
troubles. 

"  On  his  coming  the  Queen  meeting  with  him  offered 
to  kiss  him,  which  he  humbly  altogether  refused."  No 
great  harm  was  done  on  this  occasion,  and  despite  this 
rebuff  the  Queen  made  much  of  the  boy  during  his  visit. 
But  similar  and  growing  disregard  for  the  sentiments  of  a 
Queen,  who  was  not  to  be  lightly  disregarded,  later  had 
disastrous  results. 

The  young  Earl  was  a  quick,  clever,  and  studious  boy, 
burning  young  with  the  high-born  spirit  of  adventure 
and  distinction.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  procured 
permission  to  take  part  in  the  campaign  in  the  Nether- 
lands, and  though  this  was  no  great  success,  the  young 
Earl,  for  distinguished  gallantry  at  the  battle  of  Zutphen, 
earned  his  spurs,  and  a  knight-banneret.  W^ith  this  early 
warlike  record  and  the  favour  of  the  Queen,  honours  and 
promotion  came  to  him  like  a  shower  from  heaven. 
When  only  twenty  he  was  made  Master  of  the  Horse, 
which  in  those  days  carried  the  privilege  of  walking  at  the 
Queen's  bridle  rein  whenever  she  rode  in  State.  A  year 
later  he  became  General  of  Cavalry.  Shortly  afterwards 
he  was  appointed  a  Privy  Councillor ;  then  in  rapid  sue- 


ROHKKT    DKVKRKUX,    KAKl.    OK    KSSKX 


LIFE  AND   DEATH   IN  THE  TOWER     191 

cession  he  became  Master  of  the  Ordnance,  Earl  Marshal, 
and  Chancellor  of  Cambridge  University.  With  all  these 
cards  in  his  hands,  though  be  it  allowed  in  a  true  and 
honourable  spirit,  he  risked  the  displeasure  of  his  Queen 
and  benefactor  by  disobeying  her  explicit  orders,  and 
secretly  joined  the  fleet  of  Sir  Francis  Drake  in  the 
expedition  to  Portugal.  When  he  was  discovered  on 
board  it  was  too  late  to  send  him  back,  and  as  a  volunteer 
he  served  with  great  bravery.  Returning  with  these 
added  laurels  on  his  young  brow,  he  was  readily  forgiven 
by  a  Queen  whose  heart  was  his. 

Having  thus  happily  escaped  out  of  one  trouble,  he 
immediately  fell  into  another.  If  there  was  one  thing 
that  Queen  Elizabeth  resented  more  than  another  it 
was  that  persons  near  to  the  throne,  either  lineally  or 
officially,  should  marry  without  her  previous  consent  and 
blessing.  Greatly  was  such  an  offence  enhanced  when 
the  favourite  of  the  period  committed  this  misdemeanour. 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh  had  already  thus  sinned,  and  had 
tasted  of  the  rigours  of  the  Tower  in  consequence  ;  and 
now  this  boy  of  twenty-two  openly  flouted  his  Royal 
mistress,  by  secretly  marrying  the  widow  of  Sir  Philip 
Sidney.  The  Queen  was  furious,  and,  if  we  are  to  believe 
contemporary  historians,  used  a  fine  flow  of  Elizabethan 
epithets  when  she  heard  the  news.  They  were  out- 
spoken people  in  those  days.  But  the  boy  Earl  had  an 
extraordinary  fascination  for  the  more  than  middle-aged 
Queen,  and  she  again  forgave  him. 

Two  years  later  Henry  IV  of  France  being  besieged  in 
Paris  by  the  Spaniards,  under  the  Duke  of  Parma,  sent 
and  asked  help  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  The  Earl  of  Essex, 
now  twenty-four,  after  kneeling  for  three  hours  before 
the  Queen  obtained  command  of  the  British  Force,  but 
couched  in  the  following  terms  : 

"  Although  the  Queen  has  great  cause  to  forbear  at 
this  time  sending  valiant  and  experimented  captains  and 
soldiers  out  of  the  realm,  yet  the  thing  required  has  been 
so  importune,  and  her  regard  for  him  (the  Earl)  so  great, 


192  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

that  she  has  yielded  so  to  do  ;  and  sends  4000  footmen 
under  the  Earl's  guidance  for  the  space  of  two  months 
after  landing." 

On  his  way  to  Paris  he  passed  the  besieged  town  of 
Rouen,  and,  in  accordance  with  ancient  knightly  custom, 
by  sound  of  trumpet  summoned  the  Governor  Villars 
to  come  out  and  light  him  in  single  combat.  But  the 
days  of  single  combat  had  gone,  and  Villars  came  not 
forth,  no  doubt  for  good  and  sufficient  reasons ;  so  the 
Earl  passed  on.  From  this  expedition  the  Earl  of  Essex 
returned  with  an  increased  military  reputation,  and  in 
great  favour  with  the  Queen. 

But  his  restless  and  high-spirited  nature  chafed  at  the 
golden  bars  of  his  cage  at  Court,  so  that  a  few  years  later 
we  find  him  in  command  of  the  land  forces  at  the  capture 
of  Cadiz.  Here  his  extreme  personal  gallantry  made  him 
again  conspicuous,  and  he  gained  high  praise  for  his 
conduct  of  the  military  operations.  The  following  year 
he  was  given  command  of  a  second  expedition  against 
the  Spaniards  ;  and  returning  prayed  for,  and  was 
given,  the  government  of  Ireland,  with  instructions 
"  to  reduce  the  rebels."  That  was  more  than  three 
hundred  years  ago,  and  yet  might  have  been  written 
in  a  very  recent  year  of  grace.  Like  many  before  and 
since  he  failed,  and  with  that  failure  came  the  short 
steep  decline  to  the  block  on  Tower  Green.  Worried 
and  distressed,  with  ill  success  here  and  intrigue  there, 
in  a  fit  of  temper  he  threw  up  the  Government  of 
Ireland,  and  without  the  Queen's  consent  returned  to 
England. 

This  was  a  very  grave  oftence  indeed,  but  trusting  to 
his  personal  influence  with  the  Queen,  he  hurried  post 
haste  to  her  presence.  Arriving  at  the  Palace  in  the  early 
morning  he  had  the  assurance  to  thrust  his  way  un- 
announced into  the  royal  bed-chamber,  "  where  he 
found  the  Queen  newly  up,  with  her  hair  about  her 
face."  As  the  Queen  was  then  sixty-five  she  might  well 
have    resented    an    intrusion,    which    to    a    young    and 


LIFE  AND  DEATH   IN  THE  TOWER    193 

beautiful  woman  might  have  been  not  altogether  dis- 
pleasing. Yet  so  great  was  the  magic  charm  that  the 
Queen  forgot  her  own  unfavourable  neglige,  and  received 
the  Earl  cordially.  They  parted  amicably  for  the  nonce, 
the  Queen  to  complete  her  toilet,  and  his  lordship  to 
change  his  shift.  Again  meeting  an  hour  or  two  later  all 
was  still  well ;  but  before  evening  the  glass  fell.  Sir 
John  Harrington  fills  the  interval.  He  says,  "  When  I 
came  into  her  presence,  she  chafed  much,  walked  fastly 
to  and  fro,  looked  with  discomposure  in  her  visage,  and  I 
remember  catched  at  my  girdle  when  I  kneeled  before 
her,  and  swore  '  by  God's  son,  I  am  no  queen  ;  that  man 
is  above  me.  Who  gave  him  command  to  come  here  so 
soon  ?  I  did  send  him  on  other  business.'  She  bid  me 
go  home.  I  did  not  stay  to  be  bidden  twice.  If  all  the 
Irish  rebels  had  been  at  my  heels  I  should  not  have 
made  better  speed. "^ 

The  Earl  was  now  coldly  requested  to  explain  before 
a  Council  his  justification  for  leaving  his  government 
without  orders.  This  was  on  Michaelmas  Eve.  In 
answer  to  the  examination  of  the  Council,  Essex  acquitted 
himself  well ;  but  was  nevertheless  detained  in  confine- 
ment, being  placed  in  charge  of  the  Lord  Keeper,  at 
York  H^ouse  in  the  Strand.  Thus  he  remained  till  the 
following  June,  when  he  was  called  before  another 
Court  on  the  same  charges  ;  the  chief  of  which  was 
again  the  leaving  of  his  government  without  authority, 
lie  was  found  guilty  of  these  misdemeanours,  and 
sentenced  to  lose  all  his  offices  and  emoluments,  except 
that  of  Master  of  the  Horse,  and  to  remain  in  confine- 
ment during  Her  Majesty's  pleasure. 

At  first  the  Earl  was  permitted  to  live  at  his  own  house 
under  the  charge  of  Sir  Richard  Berkley  ;  later,  however, 
even  this  restriction  was  withdrawn,  and  he  was  allowed 
to  retire  to  the  country.  But  his  restless  spirit  would 
not  remain  content,  or  learn  wisdom  from  past  experi- 
ences. It  was  the  Earl  of  Essex's  firm  impression, 
possibly  with  some  justice,  that  only  his  enemies  had  the 

1  Harrington's  Nugce  Antiquce. 


194  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

ear  of  the  Queen,  and  that  if  he  could  clear  away  this 
obstacle  all  would  be  well,  and  he  would  return  to  power 
and  influence.  Brooding  therefore  with  congenial  and 
hot-blooded  friends,  he  conceived  the  idea  of  kidnapping 
the  Queen  ;  thus  at  one  stroke  cutting  her  off  from  his 
enemies,  and  placing  himself  at  the  right  ear  of  sovereignty. 
Knowing  his  Queen  and  her  vanity,  he  may  too  have 
counted  on  the  psychological  and  flattering  effect  on  a 
very  elderly  lady  at  finding  herself  in  the  position  of  the 
Sabines,  captive  to  the  bow  and  spear  of  a  dashing 
young  gallant.  History  has  had  no  opportunity  of 
judging,  for  the  plot  failed,  and  no  rape  of  the  aged 
Queen  matured. 

The  story  of  these  few  days  is  soon  told.  The  plotters 
were  assembled  at  Drury  house,^  the  residence  of  the 
Earl  of  Southampton,  with  some  three  hundred  followers 
on  February  8th,  when  news  of  the  conspiracy  having 
reached  the  Queen,  she  at  once  sent  the  Lord  Keeper, 
the  Earl  of  Worcester,  Sir  William  Knolles,  Comptroller 
of  the  Queen's  household,  and  Popham,  Lord  Chief 
Justice,  to  ask  the  reason  of  this  concourse.  Through  a 
wicket  these  chief  personages,  as  well  as  the  bearer  of  the 
Great  Seal,  were  admitted,  but  their  escort  and  retinue 
were  shut  out.  Having  thus  secured  valuable  hostages, 
Essex  locked  them  up,  and  himself  with  two  hundred 
followers  issued  forth  to  raise  the  city  with  the  cry  "  For 
the  Queen  !  for  the  Queen  !  there  is  wait  laid  for  my  life." 
He  hoped  that  his  personal  popularity,  which  was  great, 
combined  with  the  name  of  the  Queen,  would  give  him 
a  sufficient  following  to  seize  the  Tower,  then  the  great 
emblem  of  sovereignty  in  English  eyes.  In  this  he  was 
disappointed,  for  as  he  pushed  his  way  down  Fleet  Street 
and  Cheapside  few  followed  him.  Thence  "  he  made 
all  haste  to  Smith's  house,  the  Sheriffe  by  Fenchurch 
St.,"  presumably  a  prearranged  rendezvous,  before  pro- 
ceeding to  the  Tower.  But  Sheriff  Smith,  gauging  by 
the  coldness  of  the  crowd  that  this  was  a  sorry  venture, 

'  In  the  present  Druiy  Lane.  This  site  was  in  1876  occupied  by  the 
Olympic  Theatre. 


LIFE  AND  DEATH  IN  THE  TOWER    195 

slipped  out  at  his  backdoor,  the  postern  exit  as  then 
called,  and  hied  him  to  the  Lord  Mayor. 

The  Earl  of  Essex  finding  not  the  support  he  had 
expected,  decided  to  return  the  road  he  came.  But  his 
way  was  now  barred,  for  under  orders  received.  Lord 
Burghleyi  and  Sir  Gilbert  Dethicke,  Garter  King-at- 
Arms,  had  during  his  absence  entered  the  city,  and  by 
beat  of  drum  and  sound  of  trumpet  had  proclaimed  the 
Earl  of  Essex  and  "  his  complices  "  to  be  traitors.  Where- 
upon the  Bishop  of  London  barred  the  road  "  nearest 
the  West  gate  of  Pauls,"  that  is  at  the  top  of  Ludgate 
Hill,  with  armed  men.  Essex  tried  to  cut  his  way 
through,  but  after  a  brief  scufHe  during  which  there 
were  a  few  casualties  on  either  side,  and  the  Earl  received 
a  bullet  through  his  hat,  he  with  the  few  remnants  of  his 
followers  made  a  flank  movement  down  Queenehithe  to 
the  river.  There  taking  boat  he  rowed  up  the  river  and 
safely  reached  Drury  house. 

Arrived  there,  to  his  great  annoyance,  he  found  that 
his  noble  hostages  had  been  allowed  to  depart  ;  he  there- 
fore at  once  gave  orders  for  the  house  to  be  placed  in  a 
state  of  siege.  Almost  immediately  the  Earl  of  Notting- 
ham, Lord  High  AdmiraP,  arrived  with  troops  to  demand 
the  surrender  of  the  turbulent  Earl.  Certain  parleying 
went  on,  during  which  it  was  agreed  that  the  ladies,  and 
women  of  the  household,  should  be  allowed  to  depart 
unmolested.  At  6  p.m.  the  battering  train  arrived  from 
the  Tower,  and  the  besieged  refusing  to  surrender  the 
assault  commenced.  After  a  short  fight  in  which  a  few 
were  killed,  further  resistance  seeming  useless  the  two 
Earls,  Essex  and  Southampton,  capitulated,  and  they  and 
their  followers  were  sent  off  to  "  their  severall  commit- 
ments." 

It  being  now  10  o'clock  at  night,  and  the  water  under 
London  Bridge  not  serving,  Essex  was  sent  to  the  house 
of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  at  Lambeth.    The  next 

1  Son  and  successor  of  Essex's  guardian. 

-  Charles,  Lord  Howard  of  Effingham  and  Earl  of  Nottingham,  Lord 
High  Admiral  from  1585  till  1619. 


196  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

day  both  he  and  Southampton  were  conveyed  by  water 
to  the  Tower,  and  entered  in  through  the  Traitor's  Gate. 
Apparently  the  Queen  took  this  uprising  very  calmly  ; 
she  felt  she  had  the  situation  well  in  hand,  "  she  was 
not  more  amazed  than  she  would  have  been  to  have 
heard  of  a  fray  in  Fleet  Street."  The  news  was  brought 
to  her  whilst  she  was  at  dinner  ;  nothing  moved  there- 
with she  continued  her  meal  vv^ithout  "  showing  any 
fear  or  distraction  of  mind."^ 

Ten  days  later  the  two  Earls  were  brought  to  trial  at 
Westminster  Hall,  which  was  turned  into  a  court  of 
justice.  "  A  platform  6  feet  high  and  36  feet  square  was 
erected  at  the  upper  end  of  the  hall ;  the  seat  of  the 
Lord  Steward  on  the  west  side  towards  the  King's 
Bench  :  on  each  side  seats  covered  with  green  cloth  for 
the  Peers  :  in  the  middle  a  table  covered  with  green 
cloth  after  the  manner  of  the  Exchequer,  with  seats 
round  it  for  the  Judges  and  counsel :  on  the  north  side 
a  little  square  space  was  cut  out  for  the  Sergeant  of  the 
Mace  :  at  the  east  end  was  the  bar  where  the  prisoners 
stood."2 

Lord  Buckhurst,  afterwards  Earl  of  Dorset,  was  Lord 
High  Steward ;  he  was  preceded  by  the  King-of-arms 
bearing  the  white  staff,  and  was  followed  by  seven 
Sergeants  bearing  maces.  The  two  Earls  on  meeting 
each  other  at  the  bar  embraced  cheerfully,  and  kissed 
each  other's  hands.  The  charges  were  that  the  prisoners 
had  conspired  against  the  Queen's  life  and  liberty,  and  to 
seize  her  person  :  that  they  had  imprisoned  the  high 
functionaries  whom  the  Queen  had  sent  to  interview 
them  :  that  they  had  made  a  warUke  entrance  into 
London,  and  attempting  to  capture  the  Tower  by 
surprise. 

The  Court  consisted  of  twenty-four  peers,  eight  earls, 
one  viscount,  and  fifteen  barons.  There  were  also 
present  "  divers  others  of  right  honorable  rank  and 
quallitie  besides  the  reverend  judges  of  the  law."  The 
prisoners  pleaded  "  Not  Guilty."    The  two  chief  prose- 

^  Doyne  Bell.  *  Devereux's  Earl  oj  Essex ,  Vol.  II. 


LIFE  AND  DEATH   IN  THE  TOWER     197 

cutors  were  Yelverton  and  Sir  Edward  Coke ;  who 
apparently  carried  out  their  task  with  the  brutahty 
which  was  then  permissible  in  a  court  of  justice.  But 
Essex,  who  conducted  his  own  defence,  could  give  thrust 
for  thrust,  and  taunted  these  high  legal  luminaries. 
"  Rhetoric,"  he  said,  "  was  the  trade  of  those  who 
valued  themselves  on  the  knack  of  pleading  innocent 
men  out  of  their  lives."  The  trial  lasted  till  6  p.m., 
when  after  an  hour's  deliberation  the  peers  unanimously- 
pronounced  both  prisoners  "  Guilty  "  ;  and  they  were 
in  due  course  as  traitors  condemned  to  be  hanged,  drawn^ 
and  quarterea.  Through  the  dark  streets,  with  the  axe 
turned  towards  them,  they  were  hurried  back  on  foot  to 
the  Tower. 

Thomas,  Lord  Howard  de  Walden,  was  then  Con- 
stable, and  Sir  John  Peyton,  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower. 
The  Earl  of  Essex  was  confined  in  the  Develin  Tower, 
which,  as  before  mentioned,  from  that  time  forth  changed 
its  name  and  has  ever  since  been  known  as  the  Devereux 
Tower.  Lord  Southampton  was  reprieved,  but  kept  a 
close  prisoner  till  the  reign  of  James  I,  when  he  was 
released,  and  his  title  and  estates  restored  to  him. 

The  Earl  of  Essex  had  been  earnestly  enjoined,  by  the 
peers  who  tried  him,  to  pray  for  the  Queen's  mercy ; 
and  there  is  some  conflicting  testimony  as  to  whether  he 
did  so,  or  not.  Certainly  no  written  document,  or 
record,  of  any  such  appeal  is  in  existence,  but  on  the 
other  hand  there  is  the  story  of  the  ring,  which  appears 
to  have  some  foundation.  According  to  this  story, 
Queen  Elizabeth  had  in  the  days  of  his  greatest  favour 
given  him  a  ring,  and  had  sworn,  quite  bluntly  we  may 
be  assured,  that  in  whatever  peril  the  Earl  might  be, 
or  whatever  crime  committed,  he  need  only  send  her 
that  magic  ring,  and  all  would  be  well.  It  is  stated  that 
the  Earl  of  Essex,  when  he  found  his  doom  Vvas  certain, 
sent  this  ring  through  Lady  Scrope,  who  was  one  of  the 
ladies-in-waiting,  to  Queen  Elizabeth.  By  mischance 
instead  of  reaching  Lady  Scrope,  it  was  delivered  to  her 
sister,  the  Countess  of  Nottingham.     This  lady,  it  is 


198  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

said,  consulted  her  husband,  who  advised  keeping  the 
ring,  and  saying  nothing  about  it.  It  is  further  stated 
that  Lady  Nottingham  later  confessed  having  kept  back 
the  ring,  and  that  the  Queen  exclaimed  "  God  may 
forgive  you,  but  I  never  can."  It  may  be  of  interest  to 
record  that  this  identical  ring  w^as  sold  for  £6,'/oo  to  an 
American  in  191 3. 

Apart  from  this  no  direct  appeal  was  made  to  the 
Queen,  though  there  seems  little  doubt  that  if  it  had 
been  it  would  have  been  successful.  As  it  was  the  Queen 
was  pitiably  distracted,  and  torn  both  ways  ;  her  affec- 
tion and  admiration  for  the  Earl  drew  strongly  one  way  ; 
plain  justice,  the  finding  of  the  Court,  and  the  advice  of 
those  about  her,  pulled  in  the  contrary  direction.  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh,  who  had  been  supplanted  by  Essex  in 
the  Queen's  regard  and  affection,  and  hated  him  cor- 
dially, declared  bluntly  that  he  might  have  rebelled  a 
dozen  times,  and  would  have  been  pardoned,  but  that 
he  would  never  be  forgiven  for  having  said  that  the 
Queen's  "  mind  was  as  crooked  as  her  body  "  ;  a  saying 
which  had  come  to  Her  Majesty's  ears. 

There  were  only  five  clear  days  between  the  sentence 
and  its  execution,  during  which  the  Queen  suffered 
agonies  of  indecision.  Even  at  the  last  moment  she 
decided  to  reprieve  the  Earl,  and  sent  Sir  Edward  Carey 
to  announce  the  fact  ;  but  barely  had  he  left  her  presence 
than  she  changed  her  mind,  and  sent  Lord  Darcy  in 
haste  to  cancel  the  order,  and  to  direct  that  the  law  was 
to  take  its  course.  The  execution  it  had  been  decided 
was  to  be  by  beheading  in  the  comparative  seclusion  of 
Tower  Green  ;  and  the  date  fixed  was  Ash  Wednesday, 
February  25th,  1601. 

The  night  before,  when  his  settled  doom  was  an- 
nounced to  him,  Essex  opened  his  window  and  addressed 
the  guard  beneath  :  "  My  good  friends  pray  for  me,  and 
to-morrow  I  shall  leave  an  example  behind  me  you  shall 
all  remember. "1  The  hour  fixed  was  eight  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  at  which  hour  a  scaffold  had  been  prepared 

^  MS,  account  in  European  Magazine^ 


LIFE  AND   DEATH   IN  THE  TOWER     199 

on  the  site  where  Queen  Anne  Boleyn,  Queen  Katherine 
Howard,  and  Lady  Jane  Grey  had  suffered.  On  a  form 
close  by  sat  the  Earls  of  Cumberland  and  Hertford, 
Lord  Bindon,  Lord  Howard  de  Walden  the  Constable, 
Lord  Darcy,  and  Lord  Compton.  Also  present  were 
some  of  the  Aldermen  of  London,  and  some  knights  ; 
whilst  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  looked  on  from  a  neighbouring 
window.^ 

Sir  John  Peyton,  with  sixteen  "  partizans  of  the 
guard,"-  escorted  forth  the  prisoner  the  few  yards 
which  lead  from  the  Devereux  Tower  to  the  place  of 
doom.  The  Earl  was  dressed  quietly,  but  richly,  in  a 
black  satin  suit  over  which  was  a  gown  of  wrought 
velvet.  Round  his  neck  was  a  small  ruif ,  and  on  his  head 
a  black  felt  hat.  He  was  accompanied  by  three  divines. 
One  of  these,  Ashton,  an  old  friend,  he  had  enjoined  to 
"  recall  him  if  eyther  his  eye,  countenance  or  speech 
should  betray  anything  which  might  not  beseeme  him 
for  that  time."^  He  meant  to  die  bravely  as  he  had  told 
the  soldiers. 

Arrived  on  the  scaifold  the  Earl  walked  to  the  rail 
and,  taking  off  his  hat,  addressed  those  around. 

"  My  Lords,  and  you,  my  Christian  brethren,  who  are 
to  be  witnesses  of  this  my  just  punishment,  I  confesse, 
to  the  glory  of  God,  that  I  am  a  most  wretched  sinner, 
and  that  my  sinnes  are  more  in  number  than  the  hayres 
of  my  head.  I  confesse  that  I  have  bestowed  my  youth 
in  wantonnesse,  lust,  uncleannesse,  that  I  have  been 
puffed  up  with  pride,  vanitie,  and  love  of  this  world's 
pleasures,  and  that,  notwithstanding  divers  good  motions 
inspired  into  mee  by  the  spirit  of  God  ;  the  good  which 
I  would,  I  have  not  done,  and  the  evill  which  I  would 
not,  that  have  I  done.  For  all  of  which  I  humblie  be- 
seech my  Saviour  Christ  to  be  a  mediatour  to  the  eternall 
Majestic  for  my  pardon  ;    especially  this  my  last  sinne, 

^  Either  in  the  Armoury  or  the  White  Tower. 

^  The  ancestors  of  the  present  Yeomen  Warders  of  the  Tower^ 

^  Stow. 


200  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

this  great,  this  bloudie,  this  crying,  this  infectious  sinne  ; 
whereby  so  many  have  for  love  of  mee  beene  drawne  to 
offend  God,  to  offend  their  Soveraigne,  to  offend  the 
world  :  I  beseech  God  to  forgive  it  us,  and  to  forgive  it 
me,  most  wretched  of  all.  I  beseech  her  Majestic,  and 
the  state  and  ministers  thereof  to  forgive  it  us  ;  and  I 
beseech  God  to  send  her  Majestic  a  prosperous  raygne, 
and  a  long,  if  it  be  his  will.  O  Lorde,  graunte  her  a  wise 
and  understanding  heart.  O  Lorde,  bless  her,  and  the 
nobles,  and  the  ministers  of  the  Church  and  State.  And 
I  beseech  you  and  the  world  to  hold  a  charitable  opinion 
of  me  for  my  intention  towards  her  Majestic,  whose 
death  I  protest  I  never  meant,  nor  violence  towards  her 
person.  I  never  was,  thanke  God,  Atheist  not  believing 
the  Word  and  Scriptures  ;  neither  papist,  trusting  in 
mine  owne  merits,  but  hope  for  salvation  from  God 
onely  by  the  mercie  and  merites  of  my  Saviour  Christ 
jesus.  This  faith  was  I  brought  up  in,  and  herein  I  am 
now  readie  to  die  ;  beseeching  you  all  to  joyne  your 
soules  with  me  in  prayer,  that  my  soule  may  be  lifted 
uppe  by  faith  above  all  earthly  things  in  my  prayer  :  for 
nowe  I  will  give  myself  to  my  private  prayer  :  yet  for 
that  I  beseech  you  to  joyne  me.  I  will  speake  that  you 
may  heare  me." 

The  unhappy  Earl  seems  to  have  been  somewhat 
officiously  persecuted  by  the  clergy  on  the  scaffold,  for 
they  kept  on  pressing  him  to  say  more  prayers  for  this 
one  or  that  ;  to  say  the  Creed,  to  repeat  a  Psalm  ;  all  of 
which  delay  must  have  much  prolonged  the  agony,  both 
for  the  victim  and  the  onlookers.  At  length  throwing 
aside  his  cloak  and  taking  off  his  doublet,  under  which 
was  a  scarlet  waistcoat,  he  lay  down  flat  with  his  neck 
fitted  to  the  block  ;  this  apparently  being  constructed  so 
low  as  not  to  admit  of  the  kneeling  position.  Again 
another  delay,  the  little  ruff  round  his  neck  was  in  the  way 
of  the  executioner,  so  he  had  to  get  up  and  take  it  off. 
Then  lying  down  again  he  adjusted  himself,  and  spreading 
his  arms  abroad  bid  the  executioner  strike  home. 


LIFE  AND  DEATH  IN  THE  TOWER     201 

It  took  three  blows  to  complete  the  severance,  but 
according  to  eye-witnesses  the  Hrst  blow  killed  the  Earl, 
for  "  his  bodic  never  stirred,  neither  anie  part  of  him 
more  than  a  stone."  Yet  when  the  executioner  held  up 
his  head  "  his  eyes  did  open  and  shut  as  in  the  time  of 
his  prayer."  1  The  head  with  the  body  were  placed  in  a 
cofhn  and  buried  in  the  chancel  of  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula, 
beside  the  Earl  of  Arundel  and  the  Duke  of  Norfolk.^ 

Thus  died  another  great  Englishman.  Rash,  impetuous, 
and  overbearing  he  may  have  been,  yet  was  he  one  of 
those  who  during  his  brief  lifetime  bore  full  share  in 
the  evolution  of  the  English  race  from  its  island  im- 
potence to  empiric  dominion  ;  a  commanding  figure  in 
one  of  the  greatest  reigns,  and  most  renowned  eras,  in 
English  history. 

The  Duke  of  Suffolk's  Head 

A  very  long  time  ago,  in  fact  nearly  four  hundred 
years,  was  brought  to  execution  one  Henry  Grey,  Duke 
of  Suffolk.  He  had  without  doubt  committed  a  great 
offence  in  stirring  up  factions  against  Queen  Mary ; 
but  he  was  unfortunately  also  the  father  of  Lady  Jane 
Grey,  and  it  was  customary  in  the  time  of  the  later 
Tudors  to  wipe  out  whole  families,  any  members  of 
which  had  been,  or  might  be,  troublesome.  Indeed 
they  were  a  turbulent  lot  in  those  days  ;  so  that  a  King 
or  Queen  never  felt  quite  safe  until  the  heads  of  all  of 
doubtful  loyalty  lay  on  Tower  Hill.  The  record  of  the 
time  shows  that  the  high  sense  of  honour,  which  has 
grown  up  amongst  Englishmen  in  all  these  succeeding 
generations,  did  not  exist  in  those  days.  The  times 
were  changing  ;  the  days  of  the  honour  of  a  knight  and 
knightly  troth  were  passing  away  ;  and  law  and  religion 
had  not  quite  taken  their  place  in  building  up  a  new 
code  of  honour.  The  old  knight  stood  armed  to  uphold 
his  plighted  troth,  and  anyone  who  doubted  his  word  or 
cast  any  aspersion  on  his  honour,  had  forthwith  to  draw 
his  sword  and  defend  himself.     But  the  introduction  of 

^  MS,  account  in  European  Magazine,  ^  Stow, 


202  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

law  and  order,  as  it  was  called,  seems  to  have  dulled  the 
perceptions,  so  that  men  of  the  highest  rank  and  posi- 
tions were  given  to  perpetual  intrigue,  and  often  to  base 
ingratitude  and  treachery.  Leniency  and  kindly  dealing 
were  lost  on  such  as  these  ;  for  no  sooner  were  they 
pardoned  for  one  grave  offence  than  they  set  about 
plotting  again.  The  Duke  of  Suffolk  was  not  one  of 
the  great  offenders  in  this  respect,  and,  like  many  other 
cases  which  occurred  in  those  days,  it  appears  to  the 
more  lenient  eyes  of  this  age  to  have  been  one  that  might 
have  been  dealt  with  less  severely.  His  relationship  to 
Lady  Jane  Grey  was  as  fatal  to  him  as  it  proved  to  that 
unfortunate  lady.  However,  here  we  are  dealing  not  with 
the  rights  and  wrongs  of  the  Duke's  execution,  but  with 
the  history  of  his  head,  after  he  had  parted  with  it. 

At  about  nine  of  the  clock  on  the  morning  of  Friday 
the  twenty- third  of  February,  1554,  the  Duke  of  Suffolk 
was  brought  to  the  Bulwark  Gate  of  the  Tower,  and 
there  handed  over  to  the  Sheriffs  of  London  for  execu- 
tion. He  made  a  speech  from  the  scaffold,  as  was  the 
custom,  acknowledging  the  lawfulness  of  his  fate,  asking 
for  the  Queen's  forgiveness,  and  abjuring  the  people  to 
be  loyal  and  take  warning  by  his  end.  After  a  few 
prayers,  he  bound  a  handkerchief  over  his  eyes,  knelt  and 
prayed  again,  then  stretched  out  his  hands  as  a  sign  to 
the  executioner.  With  one  or  two  blows  his  neck  was 
severed,  and  after  being  held  up  by  the  executioner 
with  the  customary  declaration,  "  Behold  the  head  of  a 
traitor,"  was  placed  in  the  basket. 

Now  this  basket  was  filled  with  sawdust,  as  was  usual ; 
but  it  so  happened  that  the  sawdust  on  this  occasion 
was  from  old  oak,  much  impregnated  with  tannin  ;  this 
being  a  strong  preservative.  The  Duke's  body  was 
buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula  ;^  but  as  was  not  un- 
common in  those  days  a  little  judicious  bribery  could 
save  the  head  from  the  ignominy  of  being  impaled  on  the 
gate  of  London  Bridge.  Very  possibly  this  was  effected 
by  members  of  the  family,  for  the  Duke  had  a  mansion 

1  Doyne  Bell. 


LIFE  AND  DEATH   IN  THE  TOWER     203 

close  by  in  the  Minories.  The  Minories,  now  a  street  in 
the  east  end  of  London,  is  hy  some  supposed  to  liavc 
obtained  that  name  from  the  Convent  of  the  Sorores 
Minores,'^  and  these  probably  still  had  a  home  in  these 
parts.  To  them,  still  closely  covered  with  clotted  blood 
and  sawdust,  was  entrusted  the  Duke's  head,  and  by  them 
it  was  buried  in  a  small  vault  near  the  altar  of  their 
chapel.  On  the  site  of  this  chapel  when  it  fell  into 
decay  was  built  the  small  church  of  Holy  Trinity  in  the 
Minories,  and  whilst  this  was  in  use  the  head  was  dis- 
covered in  an  extraordinary  state  of  preservation.  Holy 
Trinity  in  its  turn  fell  into  decay,  and  is  now  used  as  a 
parish  room  ;  but  the  Duke  of  Suffolk's  head  was  re- 
moved to  St.  Botolphs,  Aldgate.  It  was  examined  by 
experts  some  fifty  years  ago,  measurements  taken,  and 
the  features  compared  with  the  contemporary  portrait 
of  the  Duke  in  the  National  Portrait  Gallery.  The 
report  of  the  experts,  though  naturally  guarded,  leaves 
little  doubt  that  this  is  the  head  of  Henry  Grey,  Duke  of 
Suffolk.  It  is  at  least  evident  that  this  must  be  the  head 
of  some  very  important  person  to  have  been  thus  preserved 
for  so  many  centuries,  and  both  tradition  and  evidence 
point  to  its  being  that  of  the  Duke. 

By  the  courtesy  of  the  Vicar  it  is  possible  to  see  the 
head  and  the  contemporary  portrait  side  by  side,  and 
though  it  is  perhaps  presumptuous  for  laymen  to  give  an 
opinion,  most  people  come  away  strongly  impressed 
with  the  extreme  probability  of  the  story.  When  first 
found  the  hair  of  the  head  and  beard  were  still  on,  but 
owing  to  its  very  brittle  state,  and  from  being  handled 
by  several  people,  these  broke  off,  though  in  a  strong 
light  the  bristles  may  still  be  seen.  There  is  no  shrink- 
age of  the  face,  the  eyes  are  Vv^ide  open,  and  the  eye- 
balls and  pupils  perfectly  preserved,  though  of  a  parch- 
ment colour.  The  skin,  too,  all  over  is  of  the  same 
yellowish  hue.     The  nose  is  not  quite  perfect,  but  the 

^  Another  authority  considers  that  the  name  was  derived  from'^the 
Abbey  of  St.  Clare,  called  the  Abbey  of  the  Minoresses  of  St.  Clare  of 
the  Order  of  St.  Clare, 


204  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

ears  are  practically  as  in  life.  The  head  has  evidently 
been  severed  by  two  heavy  blows,  and  loose  skin,  jagged 
and  looking  like  thick  parchment,  demonstrates  where 
the  severance  occurred.  The  head  is  now  carefully 
preserved  in  an  air-tight  glass  cubicle,  and  thus  may 
remain  unimpaired  for  many  centuries  to  come.  The 
point  that  strikes  one  as  most  remarkable  is  that  little  or 
no  shrinkage  has  occurred,  as  is  the  case  with  Egyptian 
mummies ;  nor  is  the  discoloration  so  pronounced  as 
with  these. 

The  4TH  Duke  of  Norfolk 

As  an  example  of  the  difficulty  of  dealing  with  high 
personages  in  those  days  less  drastically  than  by  cutting 
off  their  heads,  the  case  of  Thomas  Howard,  4th  Duke 
of  Norfolk,  may  be  related.  Already  thrice  a  widower, 
though  not  on  Henretic  lines,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two, 
partly  through  personal  ambition  but  chiefly  pushed  by 
the  CathoHc  party,  the  Duke  conspired  secretly,  and  of 
set  dynastic  purpose,  to  procure  the  hand  of  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots.  This  intrigue  came  to  the  ears  of 
Queen  Elizabeth,  who  at  first  only  gave  him  warning 
"  to  be  careful  on  what  pillow  he  laid  his  head."  On 
further  evidence,  however,  that  this  advice  was  not 
being  taken  the  Queen  roundly  tackled  the  Duke  with 
his  want  of  candour,  and  definitely  required  him  to 
renounce,  on  his  oath  of  allegiance,  all  pretensions  to 
the  hand  of  the  Scottish  Queen.  The  Duke,  who 
certainly  does  not  appear  in  a  very  pleasing  light  in  this 
episode,  at  once  made  "  a  very  hearty  and  cheerful 
promise  "  that  he  would  have  nothing  more  to  do  in  the 
matter  ;  and  to  further  lull  the  Queen's  suspicions 
proceeded  to  decry  the  mundane  value  of  the  match  by 
pointing  out  to  his  sovereign  that  he  himself  was  a  much 
richer  and  more  considerable  person  than  any  king  of 
Scotland.  He  also  further  asserted  that  he  was  no 
seeker  after  such  a  match. 

Having  thus  soothed  his  sovereign  he  withdrew  dis- 
creetly from  Court,  and  set  to  work  intriguing  again  in, 


LIFE  AND  DEATH  IN  THE  TOWER    205 

the  same  matrimonial  market.  The  correspondence 
being  intercepted,  the  Duke  was  very  rightly  lodged  in 
the  Tower,  for  evidently  nothing  short  of  stone  walls 
could  bind  him  to  his  engagements.  After  a  short 
incarceration  the  Duke  having  entered  into  a  bond  not 
to  concern  himself  further  with  the  Queen  of  Scots, 
without  Queen  Elizabeth's  consent,  was  released,  and 
allowed  to  live  at  his  own  residence.  This  was  Howard 
House,  later  known  as  Charter  House  in  Smithfield, 
which  the  Duke  had  bought  five  years  before  from 
Lord  North  for  £2,500. 

Yet  again  the  Duke  could  not  keep  his  word,  and  in 
the  following  year  was  found  afresh  intriguing  treason- 
ably with  Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  From  that  engaging 
lady  indeed  several  love  letters,  written  in  cipher  to  his 
Grace,  were  intercepted.  The  Duke,  who  very  possibly 
could  not  decipher  them  himself,  employed  his  secretary 
Higford  to  do  so,  and  bade  him  afterwards  of  a  surety  to 
burn  the  letters.  Higford,  whether  from  tender  emotion, 
or  carelessness,  or  ulterior  motive,  instead  of  burning 
them  hid  them  under  the  bed  mattress  of  his  master. 
Other  intrigues,  connecting  Higford  with  the  Queen  of 
Scots,  coming  to  light  he  was  put  to  the  rack  and  con- 
fessed everything,  including  the  whereabouts  of  the 
incriminating  documents,  and  the  cipher  that  made 
them  clear.  The  Duke  was  then  arrested,  and,  thinking 
the  letters  were  burnt,  denied  the  whole  intrigue  with 
great  haughtiness.  He  was,  however,  committed  to  the 
Tower,  and  being  confronted  with  the  documentary 
evidence  made  full  confession,  was  tried,  sentenced,  and 
executed  on  Tower  Hill,  June  2nd,  1572.  He  lies  buried 
with  the  Dukes  of  Somerset,  Northumberland,  Suffolk, 
and  Monmouth  before  the  high  altar  in  St.  Peter's  ad 
Vincula. 

Lord  Grey  de  Wilton 
Another  of  the  turbulent  and  high  spirited  noblemen 
of  those  days  was  Thomas  Grey,  Lord  Grey  de  W'ilton, 
who  is  described  as  the  fifteenth  and  last  baron  of  that 


2o6  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

line.^  Though  a  Puritan,  he  in  some  mysterious  way 
got  mixed  up,  together  with  Sir  Waher  Raleigh,  in  what 
were  known  as  the  Arabella  Stuart  plots,  against  James  I. 
These  plots  were  purely  Roman  Catholic  in  origin,  and 
aimed  at  deposing  the  King,  and  placing  a  Roman 
Catholic  princess  on  the  throne. 

Through  his  hasty  temper,  and  lack  of  restraint.  Lord 
Grey  de  Wilton  made  many  enemies,  and  amongst  these 
some  powerful  personages.  Thus  when  in  Ireland, 
serving  under  the  Earl  of  Southampton,  he  charged 
with  his  cavalry  when  it  was  against  the  commander- 
in-chief's  explicit  orders  that  he  should  do  so.  To 
uphold  discipline,  he  was  as  a  punishment  placed 
under  arrest  for  one  night,  and  then  released.  But  he 
treated  this  as  a  personal  affront,  and  shortly  after 
proceeded  to  assault  Lord  Southampton  on  horseback 
in  the  street.  For  this  crime  Lord  Grey  de  Wilton  was 
committed  to  the  Fleet  prison.  He  had  also  quarrelled 
with  another  powerful  person,  Robert  Devereux,  Earl 
of  Essex,  who  w^as  at  the  time  entrusted  mth  the 
government  of  Ireland  by  Queen  Elizabeth. 

In  the  first  year  of  the  reign  of  James  I,  Lord  Grey  de 
Wilton  was  wnth  others  arrested  for  complicity  in  the 
Arabella  Stuart  Plot,  and  committed  to  the  Tower.  With 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh  and  the  other  prisoners,  owing  to  the 
plague  in  London,  he  was  conveyed  to  Winchester  for 
trial.  There  he  was  arraigned,  on  November  17th,  1603, 
on  the  following  charge  : 

"  That  on  the  14th  day  of  June  he  had  held  a  meeting 
at  Westminster  with  George  Brooke  and  Sir  Griffin 
Markham,  when  they  declared  their  intention  to  seize 
the  King's  person,  and  that  of  Prince  Henry,  and  to  im- 
prison them  in  the  Tower,  in  order  to  extract  three 
promises  from  them  ;  viz.  their  own  pardon  for  this  im- 
prisonment, a  toleration  of  the  Romish  religion,  and  the 
exclusion  of  certain  lords  from  the  council ;  and  that  on 
the    1 8th   June,   Lord   Grey   stipulated   that   after   the 

*  The  second  title  of  the  present  Earl  of  Wilton  is  Viscount  Grey  de 
Wilton,  but  the  family  name  is  Egerton. 


LIFE  AND  DEATH   IN  THE  TOWER    207 

King's  imprisonment  he  should  be  made  Earl  Marshal 
and  Master  of  the  Horse. "^ 

Lord  Grey  de  Wilton  admitted  the  plot  to  seize  the 
King,  but  treated  with  derision  any  connection  with  the 
Papist  party.  He  defended  himself  with  great  spirit  and 
skill  before  the  Court,  but  nevertheless  was  found  guilty 
and  condemned  to  death.  The  execution  was  to  take  place 
at  Winchester,  the  second  week  in  December.  Lord 
Cobham,  Lord  Grey  de  Wilton,  and  Sir  Griffin  Markliam, 
were  to  suffer  on  the  same  day,  "  on  Friday  at  ten  of  the 
clock." 

That  day,  as  it  proved,  vvas,  however,  not  to  be  a  day 
of  bloodshed,  but  more  closely  resembling  the  baiting 
of  the  bears  at  the  Tower  ;  a  form  of  sport  or  amusement 
which  apparently  appealed  to  the  curiously  constituted 
mentality  of  James  I.  The  stage  being  set.  Sir  Griffin 
Markham  was  first  led  forth  to  execution.  Ai'rived  at 
the  scaffold  a  whispered  conversation  ensued  between 
the  Sheriff,  and  a  Scotch  groom  of  the  Chamber  to  the 
King.  The  result  of  this  was  that  the  Sheriff  directed 
Sir  Griffin  Markham  to  stand  back  for  two  hours,  to 
make  place  for  the  execution  of  the  others. 

The  next  to  be  brought  out  was  Lord  Grey  de  Wilton, 
who  came  forth  gay  and  debonair,  and  won  the  hearts 
of  all.  Before  kneeling  down  on  the  scaffold  he  turned 
up  the  straw  with  his  foot,  to  make  sure  that  he  was  not 
kneeling  in  the  blood  of  his  friend,  and  predecessor. 
Then  aided  by  his  priest  he  made  long  supplication  to 
Heaven,  so  long  indeed  that  one  of  the  spectators  com- 
plained, that  he  had  "  held  them  in  the  rain  "  for  half  an 
hour.  Even  the  Sheriff'  had  lost  his  patience  and  invited 
his  lordship  to  continue  his  devotions  elsewhere ;  adding 
that  he  had  now  decided  he  would  take  Lord  Cobham 
first  for  execution. 

Lord  Grey  de  Wilton  was  accordingly  removed,  and 
Lord  Cobham  was  brought  on  the  scaffold.  By  this  time, 
what  with  the  cold  and  rain,  the  Sheriff  determined  to 
cut  short  the  third  act  of  the  play  ;   he  therefore  called 

'  Baga  dc  Secretin,  pouch  58,  in  the  Record  Office. 


'2o8  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

out  all  three  prisoners,  and  informed  them  that,  by  the 
King's  clemency,  they  were  all  reprieved. 

Lord  Grey  de  Wilton  on  December  15th  was  sent 
back  to  the  Tower,  there  to  be  detained  during  His 
Majesty's  pleasure,  and  as  it  proved  for  life.  At  first 
he  was  lodged  in  the  Brick  Tower,  much  to  the  in- 
dignation of  the  Master  of  the  Ordinance,  who  found 
the  quarters  straight  enough  for  himself  and  his  family, 
without  taking  in  a  lord  and  his  retinue.  After  some 
stay  here  Lord  Grey  de  Wilton  was  transferred  to  St. 
Thomas'  Tower,  and  there  died  in  the  "  room  over  the 
Gate"  in  1614.  His  body  lies  in  the  Chapel  of  St. 
Peter  ad  Vincula. 


The  Lady  Arabella  Stuart 

The  Lady  Arabella  Stuart  was,  like  Lady  Jane  Grey,  a 
victim  to  perilously  high  birth  ;  her  end,  though  not  so 
tragic,  was  in  some  respects  as  sad.  One  died  under  the 
axe,  the  other  died  mad,  and  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower. 
Lady  Arabella  was  the  only  child  of  Charles,  Earl  of 
Lennox,  the  younger  brother  of  the  ill-fated  Earl  of 
Darnley,  and  of  direct  descent  from  Margaret,  Queen 
of  Scotland,  the  daughter  of  Henry  VII.  If  she  died 
a  maid  she  died  innocuous  ;  if  she  married  and  had  a 
son,  that  son  would  be  a  possible  pretender  to  the 
throne. 

Both  Queen  Elizabeth  and  James  I  therefore  decided 
to  keep  the  lady  single  till  she  was  past  a  marriageable 
age.  In  those  days  women  married  young,  and  grew 
prematurely  old  ;  therefore  when  the  Lady  Arabella 
reached  the  age  of  thirty-five,  James  I,  with  the  delicate 
humour  for  which  he  is  justly  famed,  told  her  she  might 
now  go  and  get  married,  if  she  could. 

Tlie  King  thought  this  a  safe  jibe,  and  had  Httle 
intention  that  the  permission  should  be  taken  literally. 
Some  time  before,  this  mature  damsel,  plain  of  feature 
but  pleasant  in  converse,  had  in  the  leafy  glades  near 
Oxford    met   a   young   undergraduate   named   William 


LIFE  AND  DEATH  IN  THE  TOWER    209 

Seymour.  This  young  man  could  claim  descent  from 
such  great  personages  as  Edward,  Duke  of  Somerset,  the 
Lord  Protector,  and  Henry  Grey,  Duke  of  Suffolk  ;  and 
his  dream  was  to  mount  as  high  as  they. 

The  lady  loved  the  boy,  and  the  boy  saw  in  the  lady 
the  fairy  godmother  who  would  help  him  mount  the 
steps  of  his  ambition.  King  James  heard  of  this  faint 
flutter,  and  at  once,  as  he  thought  successfully,  put  a 
stop  to  it.  As  an  inducement  towards  future  compliance 
to  his  wishes  the  King,  who  had  hitherto  treated  Lady 
Arabella  with  characteristic  economy,  now  made  her  a 
present  of  ^1,000  to  pay  her  debts,  and  obligations  to 
her  servants  ;  gave  her  a  set  of  plate  valued  at  £200,  and 
settled  on  her  a  yearly  income  of  £1,600.  He  further 
consigned  to  her  the  licence  to  "  sell  wines  and  usque- 
baugh "1  in  Ireland  for  a  period  of  twenty-one  years,  a 
grant  considered  to  be  worth  ^100,000.  This  was  royal 
treatment  indeed,  but  the  lady  took  the  money,  and  then 
secretly  married  the  young  man.  Assisted  by  Rodney,  a 
young  cousin  of  William  Seymour,  the  couple  entered 
the  holy  state  at  Greenwich  on  July  9th,  1610  ;  an 
indigent  priest  named  John  Blague  officiating  at  the 
ceremony. 

King  James  was  naturally  greatly  incensed  ;  which 
meant  the  Tower,  and  that  promptly  for  WiUiam  Sey- 
mour ;  whilst  the  Lady  Arabella  was  placed  in  strict 
restraint  under  the  charge  of  Sir  Thomas  Parry  at 
Vauxhall.  Wilham  Seymour  seems  to  have  taken  his 
imprisonment,  and  the  separation  from  his  bride,  very 
philosophically.  Indeed  he  treated  the  matter,  and  the 
lady,  very  lightly.  He  demanded  and  secured  very 
spacious  quarters  in  St.  Thomas  Tower,  sent  up  to 
Lady  Arabella's  house  for  such  furniture  as  he  required, 
ordered  in  tapestries  to  adorn  the  walls,  and  plate  to 
decorate  his  table  and  sideboard.  The  lady's  love  letters 
he  rarely  answered,  and  then  briefly. 

Being  on  the  river,  and  only  a  few  miles  up  stream,  Lady 
Arabella  conceived  the  plain  idea  of  dropping  down  with 

1  Whiskey. 


210  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

the  tide  and  holding  converse  with  her  swain  ;  the 
more  easily  since  the  windovv's  of  his  prison  looked  on 
the  river.  This  assignation  was  successfully  accomphshed, 
but  as  was  only  natural  it  at  once  came  to  King  James' 
ears.  To  make  such  meetings  less  possible  the  King 
placed  Lady  Arabella  in  charge  of  WiUiani  James, 
Bishop  of  Durham,  and  bade  that  prelate  take  his  charge 
to  his  northern  episcopacy.  A  king  and  a  bishop  may  be 
most  wise  and  potent  beings,  but  a  woman  desperately 
in  love  is  not  unlikely  to  be  able  to  defeat  them,  as  did 
the  Lady  Arabella.  She  got  ill,  and  remained  ill,  and 
became  still  more  ill  every  mile  the  kind  Bishop  took 
her  ;  so  that  they  travelled  only  as  far  as  East  Barnet, 
which  is  but  a  short  ride  from  London.  Here  it  was 
necessary  by  the  doctor's  orders  to  hire  a  cottage,  and 
take  a  complete  rest. 

During  convalescence  Lady  Arabella  got  into  com- 
munication with  her  rich  and  very  influential  aunt,  the 
Countess  of  Salisbury.  That  great  dame  at  once  warmly 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  young  couple,  and  raised  no 
less  than  ^£20,000  to  finance  their  escape.  For  ships  at 
any  time  are  expensive  to  hire,  and  many  people  betwixt 
and  between  had  to  be  suborned.  Moreover,  the  young 
people  must  have  something  to  live  on,  when  arrived 
across  the  water,  till  better  times  came.  The  main 
outhne  of  the  plan  was  that  Wilham  Seymour  should 
.  escape  from  the  Tower,  and  Lady  Arabella  ride  from 
East  Barnet :  that  the  two  should  meet  at  6  p.m.  on 
a  certain  date  at  an  inn  at  Blackwall,  on  the  Thames. 
Thence  they  were  to  row  to  a  French  ship,  lying  in 
attendance  down  at  Leigh  Roads,  and  thus  escape  to 
France. 

The  Lady  Arabella,  whose  task  was  the  easier,  though 
in  delicate  health,  performed  it  to  the  minute.  Dressed 
as  a  man,  with  French  fashioned  hose  and  doublet,  large 
peruke  with  long  locks  surmounted  by  a  black  hat,  russet 
boots  with  red  tops,  a  black  cloak  and  a  rapier  at  her 
side,  she  strolled  forth  from  her  cottage  at  East  Barnet, 
accompanied  by  Markham,  one  of  her  retainers.     They 


LIFE  AND  DEATH  IN  THE  TOWER    211 

walked  a  mile  and  a  half  to  a  wayside  inn,  where  Courtney, 
another  of  her  men,  met  them  with  horses.  The  un- 
accustomed attire,  the  long  boots,  and  her  recent  indis- 
position, drev/  from  the  groom,  who  helped  Lady  Arabella 
to  mount,  the  rem.ark  "  that  young  gentleman  won't 
ride  far."  But  affairs  of  the  heart  carry  people  a  long 
way,  and  certainly  carried  this  lady  in  good  time  to  the 
trysting  place  at  Blackwall. 

William  Seymour,  whose  task  was  more  difficult,  was 
more  than  two  hours  late  ;  so  that  after  waiting  that 
time  Lady  Arabella  was  constrained  to  depart.  The 
plan  for  her  husband's  escape  was  much  more  elaborate, 
for  he  had  not  only  to  break  out  of  a  fortress,  but  get 
clear  aw^ay.  A  black  wig,  a  false  beard,  and  a  carter's 
hat  and  smock,  had  been  smuggled  into  St.  Thomas' 
Tower  ;  and  a  carter  had  been  suborned  who  had  free 
entry  to  deliver  in  the  fortress,  hay,  faggots,  and  the  like. 
As  this  cart  at  the  agreed  hour  passed  along  Water  Lane 
it  came  to  a  standstill  outside  St.  Thomas'  Tower. 
W^hereupon  Avilliam  Seymour  slipped  out  and  mounting 
the  box  took  charge  of  the  team.  The  carter  concealed 
himself  and  the  cart  was  then  driven  out  through  the 
Byward  Gate,  along  Tower  W^harf,  and  so  out  of  the 
Tower.  In  a  house  near  St.  Katherine's  Wharf,  Seymour's 
friend,  young  Rodney,  was  awaiting  with  change  of 
raiment,  a  horse,  and  a  boat.  Hastily  changing  WiUiam 
Seymour  took  to  the  boat,  wdiilst  Rodney  rode  down  the 
bank.  Arrived  at  Blackwall,  more  than  two  hours  late, 
they  found  that  Lady  Arabella  had  departed,  and  pushed 
off  in  search  of  the  French  ship. 

Meamvhile  Lady  Arabella  had  found  the  chartered 
ship,  and  after  waiting  till  the  last  moment  in  which  the 
tide  would  serve,  had  reluctantly  set  sail.  William  Sey- 
mour therefore  failed  to  find  the  French  ship,  but, 
haihng  a  barge,  bribed  the  skipper  to  take  him  to  Calais. 
The  casual  barge,  with  the  equally  casual  William 
Seymour  on  board,  after  dawdling  here  and  dawdling 
there,  and  putting  in  at  this  port  and  that,  found  she 
could  not  make  Calais,  so  drifted  off  to  Ostend,  where 


i\i  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

the  fugitive  was  safely  landed,  and  escaped,  to  one  day 
become  Duke  of  Somerset. 

The  Lady  Arabella,  who  was  certainly  born  under  no 
fortunate  star,  was  captured  and  brought  back  to 
England,  and  this  time  to  the  Tower.  The  story  of  her 
capture  reads  like  some  uncanny  tale.  A  half-pay 
Admiral,  Monson  by  name,  happened,  as  is  not  un- 
common with  old  sea-faring  folk,  to  be  down  at  the 
Tower  Wharf  chatting  to  the  watermen,  when  one  of 
them  chanced  to  mention  a  yarn  about  two  young 
galants,  who  had  pushed  off  in  rather  mysterious  manner, 
and  rowed  down  stream.  Admiral  Monson,  with  the 
most  extraordinary  luck  or  prescience,  divined  that  these 
were  fugitives  from  justice,  and  perhaps  important.  He 
therefore  hired  a  boat,  and  also  dropped  down  the  river ; 
Again  in  the  most  astonishing  manner  he  hit  off,  in  aU 
this  long  and  wide  river,  the  exact  inn  at  Blackwall 
which  had  been  the  trysting  place.  Here  he  got  hot 
foot  on  the  scent,  and  hearing  that  a  French  barque  had 
recently  sailed,  rowed  across  to  H.M.S.  Adventure,  and 
using  his  authority  as  an  Admiral,  commandeered  her  for 
the  chase.  He  himself,  however,  did  not  wait  for  her, 
but  set  sail  at  once  in  a  fast  light  oyster  boat.  H.M.S. 
Adventure  in  due  course  got  clear  and  made  straight  for 
Calais,  where  just  as  she  was  entering  the  harbour  and 
within  a  few  cable  lengths  of  safety,  she  came  up  with  a 
French  barque  answering  the  description  of  the  quarry 
she  was  after.  In  those  days  the  three-mile  limit  did  not 
exist,  and  anyway  Britannia  ruled  the  waves.  His 
Majesty's  ship  therefore  ordered  the  foreigner  to  hove 
to.  Owing  to  lack  of  wind  and  an  adverse  tide  the  man- 
of-war  was  unable  to  come  up  with  the  French  ship,  and 
so  put  off  a  boat  to  enforce  the  order.  As  the  French- 
man was  still  trying  to  escape,  the  English  boat  com- 
menced a  musketry  fusillade,  but  after  receiving  thirteen 
shots  the  foreigner  came  up  into  the  wind,  and  was 
boarded.  Lady  Arabella  immediately  came  forv/ard  and 
gave  herself  up,  and  was  thereupon  transferred  to  H.M.S. 
Adventure,  and  taken  back  captive  to  England. 


LIFE  AND  DEATH  IN  THE  TOWER    213 

On  being  brought  to  the  Tower,  Lady  Arabella  Stuart 
was  confined  in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings,  occupying 
the  same  room  as  that  in  which  was  imprisoned  Margaret 
Douglas,  Countess  of  Lennox,  the  common  grandmother 
both  of  herself  and  the  King.  The  same  lady  whose 
matrimonial  activities  had  been  so  displeasing  to  Queen 
Elizabeth,  as  elsewhere  related.  For  five  years  Lady 
Arabella  lived  in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings,  being  per- 
mitted a  certain  amount  of  freedom  for  the  sake  of 
health  and  exercise,  but  sadly  decaying  both  bodily  and 
mentally,  till  it  came  to  be  reported  that  "  the  Lady 
Arabella  is  far  out  of  frame,  this  midsummer  moon." 
In  the  end  she  died  insane  September  25th  or  27th, 
161 5.  A  post-mortem  was  held,  the  verdict  being  that 
death  was  due  to  chronic  disease,  increased  by  negligence, 
and  hurried  on  by  constantly  lying  in  bed  and  "  extreme 
leanness."^ 

The  body  was  embalmed,  and  at  dead  of  an  autumn 
night  it  was  taken  by  river  to  Westminster,  and  there 
buried  in  the  Stuart  vault,  over  the  remains  of  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots.  In  verse  she  passed  away  with  the  two 
lines : — 

"  Now  do  I  thank  thee,  Death,  and  bless  thy  power 
That  I  have  past  the  guard  and  'scaped  the  Tower." 

Nor  must  we  pass  on  without  a  parting  reference  to 
William  Seymour.  A  callous,  and  not  very  attractive 
character  when  young  ;  it  was  nevertheless  the  same  who 
later,  as  Earl  of  Hertford,  offered  the  great  sacrifice, 
and  prayed  that  he  might  be  executed  in  place  of  his 
sovereign,  Charles  I.  And  he  it  was,  who  later  still,  made 
a  request  that  must  have  brought  a  gleam  of  gladness, 
even  in  her  celestial  home,  to  the  Lady  Arabella.  For 
the  love  of  her  earthly  life,  now  Duke  of  Somerset, 
and  long  married  to  another,  asked  to  be  buried  by 
her  side. 

^  Davev. 


214  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Arthur  Ca?el,  Earl  of  Essex 

Arthur  Capel,  Earl  of  Essex,  was  committed  to  the 
Tower  for  being  implicated  in  the  "  Rye  House  Plot," 
the  object  of  which  was  to  secure  the  succession  of  the 
Duke  of  Monmouth  to  the  throne.  He  came  into 
custody  on  July  loth,  1683,  and  was  first  placed  in  the 
Lieutenant's  Lodgings,  Captain  Check  then  being 
Lieutenant  of  the  Tower.  Next  day,  however,  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Gentleman  Gaoler's  quarters.  Major 
Hawley  being  Gentleman  Gaoler,  as  he  was  then  called. 
Only  three  days  later  the  Earl  came  to  his  death,  either 
by  suicide  or  by  foul  means  ;  regarding  which  there  is 
much  controversy.  He  w^as  certainly  in  a  very  depressed 
condition,  and  the  coroner's  jury  found  the  case  one  of 
"  self-murder "  ;  whilst  the  Chapel  register  in  St. 
Peter's  records  that  he  "  cutt  his  throat."  On  the  other 
hand  there  were  many  suspicious  circumstances  ;  and  the 
evil  reputation  which  the  Tower  had  gained  from  past 
murders  committed  within  its  walls  caused  the  popular 
sentiment  to  lean  towards  the  opinion  that  foul  play 
had  been  employed.  At  a  judicial  enquiry  held  later 
two  children  declared  that  they,  had  seen  a  bloody  razor 
cast  out  of  the  window,  and  that  a  maid  ran  out,  picked 
it  up,  and  took  it  in  again.  The  sentry  at  the  door 
declared  that  two  men  had  gone  into  the  house  just 
before  the  crime.  And  there  history  leaves  the  story, 
for  Lady  Essex  asked  that  the  matter  might  be  dropped, 
she  and  her  relations  having  decided  to  accept  the 
verdict  of  the  jury.  But  beliefs  die  hard  ;  probably 
nine-tenths  of  the  populace  at  that  day  were  convinced 
that  the  Earl  had  been  murdered,  and  that  belief  is  very 
prevalent  to  this  day. 

The  Earldom  of  Essex,  held  by  several  families,  has 
had  a  curious  and  fatal  connection  with  the  Tower  of 
London.  There  have  been  mentioned  in  these  pages, 
and  always  in  the  tragic  circle,  first  Geoffrey  de 
Mandeville,  Earl  of  Essex ;  then  Thomas  CromweU,  Earl  of 
Essex ;  next  that  Earl  of  Essex,  husband  of  the  notorious 


LIFE  AND   DEATH   IN  THE  TOWER    215 

Lady  Francis  Howard ;  then  there  was  Robert  Devereux, 
Earl  of  Essex  ;  and  lastly  Arthur  Capel,  Earl  of  Essex. ^ 


Modern  Prisoners 

The  two  most  notable  prisoners  in  the  Tower  during 
the  Great  War  which  commenced  in  1914  were  Lieu- 
tenant Lodi  of  the  German  Navy,  and  Sir  Roger  Case- 
ment, an  Irishman,  who  had  long  served  under  the 
British  Colonial  Office.  Lodi  by  means  of  a  passport 
stolen  by  the  German  Foreign  Office  from  an  American 
in  Berlin,  who  had  handed  it  in  to  be  vise,  came  to 
England  in  August  or  September,  1914,  to  spy  for  the 
German  Government,  more  especially  with  regard  to 
the  British  Navy.  Mr.  Gerard  the  American  Ambassador 
at  Berlin  relates  in  his  book,^  how  the  passport  was 
missed  in  Berlin,  and  how  it  was  found  on  Lodi.  Lieu- 
tenant Lodi  was  a  brave  man,  v/ho  took  his  life  in  his 
hands  to  serve  his  country,  and  met  his  death  with 
becoming  fortitude.  He  was  tried  by  court-martial  and 
shot  in  the  Tower.  Several  other  spies  have  been  shot 
in  the  Tower  during  the  War,  but  all  miserable  specimens, 
mostly  neutrals  out  for  what  money  they  could  make, 
and  probably  working  both  ways.  Indeed  it  was  a  maxim 
of  no  less  a  person  than  Napoleon,  that  no  man  could  be 
a  really  successful  spy  unless  he  played  the  double  game, 
that  is  spied  for  both  sides,  turn  and  turn  about. 

Sir  Roger  Casement  was  an  out  and  out  rebel  of  the 
most  despicable  class.  Being  in  Germany,  or  getting 
there  soon  after  the  W^ar,  he  threw  himself  heart  and 
soul  into  the  German  cause  against  his  own  King  and 
country  ;  a  country  which  had  well  treated  him  and 
whose  pensioner  he  was,  and  a  King  who  had  raised  him 
to  an  Order  of  Knighthood. 

The  Germans  used  him  first  as  a  propagandist  amongst 

^  The  present  Earl  of  Essex  is  the  eighth  in  succession  to  Arthur 
Capel,  but  by  Royal  licence  spells  his  name  Capell. 

2  Four  Tciirs  i?i  Germany,  by  Mr.  Gerard,  late  American  Ambassador 
in  Berlin. 


2i6  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

those  Irish  soldiers  who  were  prisoners  of  war  in  Ger- 
many, with  instructions  to  endeavour  to  persuade  them 
to  take  up  arms  against  their  own  Empire.  A  few  fanatics, 
or  weak  persons,  ostensibly  joined  him  ;  but  the  large 
majority  treated  his  overtures  with  the  greatest  scorn, 
and  but  for  the  German  guards  he  would  have  fared 
badly  at  their  hands.  Next,  encouraged  and  aided  by 
the  German  Government,  he  effected  a  landing  in 
Ireland,  probably  being  conveyed  across  in  a  submarine  ; 
his  mission  being  to  raise  a  rebellion  in  Ireland.  He 
was,  however,  caught  red-handed,  brought  over  to 
England,  and  imprisoned  in  the  Tower.  Thence  he  was 
removed  to  Brixton  Gaol,  and  after  a  fair  trial  was 
sentenced  to  death,  and  hanged  at  Pentonville.  An 
ignominious  death  worthy  of  a  traitor. 


XV 
TORTURES 

(this  chapter  may  well  be  passed  over  by  those 

OF  TENDER  HEARt) 

"  By  torture  strange  " — Illegal  but  allowed — Henry  VIII  and 
QueenElizabeth — The  rack — The  "Duke  of  Exeter's  Daughter" 
— The  one-man  rack — The  "  Scavenger's  Daughter  "—The 
gauntlets — The  bilboes — The  Spanish  collar — Thumbscrews — • 
The  brakes — A  nameless  torture — The  peine  forte  et  d.re 
— Legal  forms  of  torture — Father  Gerard  tortured — The 
Torture  Chamber  in  the  Tower — "  Hang  thou  then,  till  you  rot " 
— German  torture  of  to-day — Father  Gerard's  escape — Anne 
Askew  on  the  rack — The  Lieutenant  intervenes — Burnt  alive 
— Damport  tortured  by  the  brakes — Guy  Fawkes — His  trial 
and  torture — The  King's  letter — "  Hanged  in  chains  " — A 
Lieutenant  of  Tower  executed — Abolition  of  torture. 

BI  •  TORTVRE  *  STRAVNGE  •  MY  •  TROVTH  • 
WAS  •  TRIED  •  YET  •   OF  *   MY  •  LIBERTY  • 
DENIED  :  THER  •  FOR  •   RESON  •   HATH  • 
ME  •   PERSWADED  •  THAT  *   PAYSENS  * 
MUST  •   BE  •  YMBRASYD  •  THOGH  •   HARD  • 
FORTVNE  •   CHASTYTH  •   ME  •  WYTH  ' 
SMART  •  YET  •   PASYENS  •  SHALL  • 
PREVAYL  • 

THIS  pathetic  inscription  is  engraved  on  the 
wall  of  the  Bell  Tower,  by  whose  hand  it  is 
not  known.  Though  torture  has  never  been 
authorized  by  the  laws  of  England,  yet  in  the 
Middle  Ages,  by  the  special  permission  of  the  King,  or 
his  Council,  it  was  constantly  employed  ;  generally  in 
the  endeavour  to  extract  confessions  from  those  sus- 
pected of  being  engaged  in  plots,  and  sometimes  as  a 

217 


2t8  the  tower  from  WITHIN 

terrible  aid  to  religious  persecution.  Prisoners  were  also 
tortured  to  disclose  the  whereabouts  of  hidden  treasure, 
or  to  procure  evidence  against  some  person  whom  it  was 
desired  to  incriminate  or  do  away  with.  Though  illegal 
there  was  a  regular  torture  chamber  at  the  Tower,  sup- 
plied with  several  devices  for  causing  pain.  These 
tortures  took  the  place  of  the  older  method  of  ordeal 
and  trial  by  battle,  and  as  early  as  1310,  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  II,  the  Templars  were  ordered  by  Royal  Warrant 
to  be  tortured.  That  the  system  was  then  new  in 
England  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  though  the  warrant 
was  given,  it  Vv^as  found  impossible  to  procure  any  skilled 
torturers  in  the  realm.  But  it  was  in  Tudor  and  Stuart 
days  that  torture,  and  especially  the  rack,  were  in  con- 
stant use.  Henry  VIII  was  a  firm  believer  in  its  efficacy, 
whilst  in  Elizabeth's  later  days  the  rack  at  the  Tower 
seldom  stood  idle.^ 

The  most  drastic  forms  of  torture  used  at  the  Tower 
were  the  rack,  the  "  Scavenger's  Daughter,"  the  gauntlets 
and  the  brakes  ;  whilst  somev/hat  less  grievous  devices, 
such  as  the  thumbscrews  and  the  bilboes,  were  reserved 
for  lesser  cases. 

The  rack,  as  an  implement  of  torture,  was  introduced 
into  the  Tower  by  John  Holland,  4th  Duke  of  Exeter,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  VI,  and  was  known  for  long  as  the 
"  Duke  of  Exeter's  Daughter."  This  pattern  of  rack 
consisted  of  a  strongly  framed  wooden  trough,  much  the 
shape  of  a  horse  trough,  but  large  enough  to  contain  a 
human  body.  In  this  trough  the  prisoner  was  laid.  At 
each  end  of  the  trough,  and  beyond  its  edge,  were  fixed 
windlasses,  on  which  were  coils  of  rope.  These  ropes 
were  fastened  by  loops  to  the  wrists  and  ankles  of  the 
victim.  The  windlasses  v/ere  then  turned  outwards,  thus 
stretching  the  arms  back  above  the  head,  whilst  the  legs 
were  dragged  in  the  opposite  direction.  So  powerful 
were  these  windlasses  that  sufficient  pressure  could  be 
brought  to  dislocate  the  shoulders,  and  even  the  knee 
joints  and  hips.     The  refinement  in  this  class  of  torture 

1  Hallam. 


TORTURES  219 

lay  in  the  advantage  that  whilst  it  did  not  kill  the  victim, 
unless  he  had  a  weak  heart  or  other  organic  disease,  it 
caused  the  most  excruciating  suffering. 

There  were  doubtless  other  patterns  of  racks,  but  the 
principle  in  each  was  the  same.  The  model  shown  in 
the  Tower  has  a  wooden  frame  with  three  thick  wooden 
rollers,  one  across  each  end,  and  one  across  the  middle. 
The  two  end  rollers  revolve  outwards,  and  have  ropes 
wound  round  them  with  loops  for  the  feet  at  one  end 
and  for  the  wrists  at  the  other.  A  crank  in  the  middle, 
which  can  be  worked  hy  one  man,  causes  the  two  end 
rollers  to  revolve  outwards.  The  victim  Vv^as  placed  with 
the  middle  of  his  body  across  the  middle  roller,  his  wrists 
and  ankles  being  thrust  into  the  loopholes  ;  the  ropes 
were  then  tightened  up  till  he  was  fully  stretched.  If 
more  pressure  were  required  the  man  at  the  crank  applied 
it,  spoke  by  spoke.  The  advantage  of  this  one-man 
rack  was,  that  only  one  operator  was  present  during  the 
revelation  of  the  important  matters  that  might  be 
wrung  out  of  the  victim. 

The  "  Scavenger's  Daughter  "  was  so  named  after  the 
inventor.  Sir  L.  Skevington  or  Skeffington,  Lieutenant 
of  the  Tower  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  One  pattern 
consisted  of  a  wide  iron  hoop  which  by  means  of  screws 
could  be  tightened  round  the  victim's  body  until  the 
blood  was  forced  from  the  nose  and  ears,  and  sometimes 
even  from  the  hands  and  feet,^  apparently'on  the  lines  of  an 
iron  straight  jacket.  The  pattern  in  the  Tower  is  different, 
and  does  not  appear  to  be  a  very  grievous  form  of  torture 
though  doubtless  irksome.  The  head  was  thrust  through 
an  iron  loop,  from  which  straight  iron  rods  about  three 
feet  long  ran  to  shackles  which  fitted  round  the  ankles. 
On  the  iron  rods  are,  half-way  down,  other  shackles  for 
the  wrists.  The  victim  was  thus  held  in  a  bent  condition, 
but  there  is  no  method  for  shortening  the  rod  and  thus 
increasing  the  discomfort.  That  some  such  contrivance 
existed  in  a  more  perfected  form  is  inferred  from 
historical    records,    which    state    that    whilst    the    arck 

1  Encyclopaedia  Britmnica,  nth  edition,  Vol.  XXVII,  pp.  72-78. 


220  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

stretched  the  body  more  and  more,  the  "  Scavenger's 
Daughter  "  contracted  it  in  an  increasing  degree. 

Tlie  gauntlets  was  a  form  of  torture  first  invented  by 
the  North  American  Indians.  As  applied  at  the  Tower 
it  consisted  of  thrusting  the  victims  hands  through  iron 
gauntlets  or  bracelets,  which  were  attached  by  a  rope  to 
a  beam,  or  hook,  overhead.  The  stool,  on  which  the 
prisoner  had  been  made  to  stand  during  this  adjustment, 
was  then  removed,  and  he  was  left  to  hang  by  his  wrists. 

The  "  bilboes  "  as  seen  at  the  Tower  does  not  appear  to 
be  a  very  formidable  form  of  torture,  and  was  in  common 
use  on  ships  of  war,  and  doubtless  on  ships  in  general, 
for  the  better  security  and  punishment  of  mutinous 
seamen.  The  term  "  bilboe  "  is  believed  to  be  a  corrup- 
tion of  Bilboa  in  Spain,  whence  this  form  of  restraint,  or 
torture,  came.  The  form  of  restraint  is  much  the  same 
as  exercised  by  the  stocks,  though  the  "  bilboes  "  are 
made  of  iron.  There  is  an  iron  bar,  which  might  be  of 
any  length,  one  end  of  which  may  be  screwed,  and 
locked,  to  the  deck  or  floor,  whilst  the  other  end  may  lie 
loose.  On  this  bar  at  intervals  are  iron  rings  running 
loose.  These  iron  loops  were  opened,  and  then  riveted 
round  the  prisoner's  ankles,  who  then  lay  or  squatted  on 
the  floor  or  deck.  The  torture  stage  was  arrived  at  when 
the  punishment  was  extended  to  days,  and  even  weeks. 

It  is  mentioned  that  many  chests  full  of  bilboes  were 
found  on  ships  of  the  Spanish  Armada,  their  purpose 
being  to  fetter  together  in  couples  the  captured  English  ! 

The  iron,  or  Spanish  collar,  is  another  form  of 
torture,  a  pattern  of  which  may  be  seen  at  the  Tower. 
The  collar  is  of  massive  iron,  large,  and  roomy  enough, 
but  inside  it  is  studded  all  round  with  thick  sharp  spikes. 
The  collar,  which  opens  on  a  hinge,  was  put  round  the 
prisoner's  neck,  and  locked.  How  long  the  collar  re- 
mained on  the  victim,  history  does  not  relate,  but  if 
for  days  and  weeks  as  probable,  it  must  have  caused  great 
torture. 

One  of  the  minor  forms  of  torture  was  that  of  the 
thumbscrews.     This   consisted  of  placing   two  fingers, 


TORTURES  221 

preferably  one  from  each  hand,  into  a  small  iron  device, 
somewhat  like  a  diminutive  ox  yoke.  A  screw  at  the  top, 
which  could  be  turned  with  the  thumb  and  finger, 
whence  the  name,  then  drew  together  the  top  and 
bottom  sides  of  the  diminutive  yoke,  and  thus  crush  the 
fingers  to  any  desired  degree.  To  add  to  the  torture, 
there  is  a  short  chain  with  a  ring  at  the  end,  which  is 
attached  to  the  thumbscrew.  The  torturer  could  give 
this  a  sharp  tug  to  emphasize  a  question ;  or  it  could  be 
fastened  to  a  bolt,  or  peg,  high  up  on  the  wall  or  beam, 
so  that  the  victim's  arms  were  stretched  above  his  head  ; 
and  if  desirable  might  be  so  arranged  that  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  weight  of  the  body  hung  from  the  two 
imprisoned  fingers. 

About  the  same  period  as  the  rack  came  also  to  the 
Tower  the  "  brakes,"  a  horrible  device  for  forcing 
out,  or  breaking,  one  by  one,  a  prisoner's  teeth  ;  a 
question,  or  the  same  question,  being  asked  between 
each  application.  This  is  a  form  of  torture  which  most 
of  us  can,  from  personal  experience,  appreciate,  and  can 
in  imagination  picture  the  feelings  of  the  victim,  without 
the  alleviation  afforded  to  us  by  the  kindly  skill  of  the 
operator,  and  the  deadening  effect  of  opiates.  There  is 
no  pattern  of  this  device  now  to  be  seen  at  the  Tower ; 
indeed  a  common  hammer  would  suffice. 

Another  form  of  torture  used  in  the  Tower  consisted 
of  tying  tightly  together  with  whipcord  the  two  thumbs 
of  the  victim,  these  being  probably  attached  by  a  rope 
to  a  hook  in  the  wall.  The  body  and  legs  were  then 
lifted  outwards  by  a  beam  so  that  the  greater  part  of  the 
weight  fell  on  the  thumbs.  Little  John  the  servant  of 
Friar  Garnet  was  thus  tortured,  "  his  thumbs  tied  to- 
gether and  his  body  raised  by  a  beam." 

Although,  as  before  mentioned,  these  tortures  of  the 
Tower  were  never  legal  according  to  English  law,  yet 
there  was  a  penalty  very  closely  allied  which  was  per- 
missible under  that  law.  This  punishment  was  usually 
reserved  for  recalcitrant  witnesses,  or  those  who  refused  to 
plead.    It  was  called  the  feine  jorte  et  dure^  and  certainly 


222  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

would  be  considered  so  in  English.  The  stubborn 
person  was  stretched  on  his  back  on  the  ground,  and  iron 
weights  were  laid  upon  him,  ''  as  much  as  he  could  bear, 
and  more,  and  so  to  continue."  During  this  process, 
which  apparentl}^  might  last  for  days,  he  was  fed  on  bad 
bread  and  stagnant  water,  on  "  alternate  days,  until  he 
pleaded,  or  died."  Though  perhaps  a  degree  less  painful, 
there  does  not  seem  to  be  any  great  dividing  line  between 
this  legal  form  of  torture  and  the  illegal  rack  and  brakes. 

Another  form  of  legal  torture  was  the  tying  of  the 
thum_b  tight  around  with  whipcord,  the  effect  of  which 
if  persevered  with  is  to  rot  it  off.  This  w^as  a  common 
form  of  torture  at  the  Old  Bailey  up  to  the  eighteenth 
century.  The  -peine  forte  et  dure  was  not  abolished  till 
so  recently  as  the  reign  of  George  III. 

A  somewhat  curious  and  interesting  sidelight  on  the 
dividing  line  between  tortures  in  the  Tower,  which 
were  illegal,  and  those  without,  which  were  legal,  is 
instanced  by  the  case  of  Christopher  Layer  who  in  1722 
was  committed  to  the  Tovv^er.  He  was  "  ordered  to  be 
chained  and  weighted,"  in  other  words  to  suffer  the 
fehie  jorte  et  dure  ;  but  Colonel  D'Oyly,  the  Deputy- 
Governor  of  the  Tower,  was  in  the  curious  position  of 
not  being  able  to  comply,  "  such  things  "  never  having 
been  used  in  the  Tower  ;  he  had  therefore  to  send  to 
Newgate  for  these  vulgar  accessories. 

Turning  from  the  general  subject  to  particular 
instances,  it  may  be  of  historic  interest  to  describe  some 
of  the  carefully  recorded  cases  where  torture  was  em- 
ployed in  the  Tower. 

Father  Gerard  was  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  in  the 
days  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  was  suspected  of  being 
concerned  in  what  were  known  as  the  Popish  plots  against 
the  life  of  the  Queen.  He  was  seized  and  taken  before 
the  Lords  of  the  Council,  ^vho  sat  in  the  Council  room 
at  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings.  1'his  is  the  same  room 
where  Guy  Fawkes  was  later  interrogated.  Amongst 
others  present  were  Sir  Edward  Coke  the  eminent  lawyer 
and  Attorney-General,  but  a  brutal  person  ;   Sir  Francis 


TORl'URES  223 

Bacon ;  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower,  Sir  WiUiam 
Waad,  the  same  whom  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  described  as 
"  that  beast  Waad." 

The  object  of  the  enquiry  was  to  induce  Father 
Gerard  not  only  to  confess  his  own  participation  in  the 
plot,  but  to  inculpate  others  who  might  be  in  it.  If  this 
information  could  be  extracted  by  fair  means,  well ; 
but  if  not  illegal  means  were  to  be  employed.  The 
Council  produced  a  special  permission  allowing  them  to 
use  their  discretion  in  this  matter  ;  failing  persuasion 
therefore  they  proceeded  to  more  stringent  measures. 
First  they  tried  the  erfect  of  threats,  and  told  the 
prisoner  that  unless  he  confessed  they  had  power  not 
only  to  torture  him,  but  "  to  prolong  the  torture  from 
day  to  day  as  long  as  life  lasted."  Undismayed  the  priest 
held  his  peace,  and  as  a  next  step  was  led  down  and 
shown  the  implements  of  torture  ;  but  still  he  remained 
silent. 

His  own  record  is  extant  and  reads,  "  We  went  in  a 
sort  of  solemn  procession,  the  attendants  preceding  us 
with  lighted  candles  because  the  place  was  underground 
and  very  dark,  especially  about  the  entrance.  It  was  a 
place  of  immense  extent,  and  in  it  were  ranged  divers 
sorts  of  racks,  and  other  instruments  of  torture.  Some 
of  these  they  displayed  before  me,  and  told  m^e  that  I 
should  have  to  taste  them.  They  led  me  to  a  great  up- 
right beam  or  pillar  of  wood,  which  was  one  of  the  sup- 
ports of  this  vast  crypt."  He  was  indeed  in  the  torture 
chamber  in  the  basement  of  the  White  Tower,  whence 
neither  w^ord  nor  sound  could  be  heard  by  those  outside. 

He  was  told  to  stand  on  a  stool  and  lift  his  hands  above  his 
head  that  he  might  undergo  the  torture  of  the  gauntlets. 
Over  his  wrists  were  clapped  two  iron  bracelets  attached  by 
short  chains  to  a  ring  above.  The  stool  was  then  removed 
and  he  was  left  to  hang,  and  he  being  a  heavy  man  the 
pain  soon  became  intense.  Meanwhile  tlic  members  of 
the  Council  stood  by  and  phed  him  with  questions,  but 
he  answered  not  a  word.  Several  times  he  fainted  from 
anguish,  but  still  held  out.     Later  in  the  afternoon  Sir 


124  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

William  Waad  returned  and  again  interrogated  the 
wretched  priest,  but  with  no  result.  Baffled,  the  Lieu- 
tenant turned  to  go,  exclaiming,  "  Hang  thou  then,  till 
you  rot."  It  was  only  when  the  tolling  of  the  bell  on 
the  Bell  Tower  announced  that  all  strangers  must  leave 
the  Tower,  that  the  Council,  defeated,  retired.  The 
wretched  priest,  half  dead  with  pain  and  anguish,  tottered 
between  his  guards  to  his  dungeon  in  the  Salt  Tower. 

Though  the  form  of  torture  suffered  by  Father 
Gerard  three  hundred  years  ago  has  long  been  extinct  in 
all  civilized  countries,  it  apparently  still  survives  in 
Germany,  and  is  applied  to  prisoners  of  war.  An 
escaped  British  prisoner  has  recorded  that  the  Russian 
prisoners  of  war  "  were  strapped  to  a  post  with  their 
hands  tied  above  their  heads.  A  brick  was  placed  for 
them  to  stand  on,  and  then  kicked  away  when  they  were 
fastened,  leaving  them  hanging  by  their  wTists." 

Next  day  Father  Gerard  was  again  taken  to  the 
Council  Chamber,  and  arraigned  before  Sir  \yilliam 
Waad,  who  tried  another  line.  He  informed  the  prisoner 
that  Cecil,  the  Secretary  of  State,  had  certain  proof 
that  the  prisoner  was  concerned  in  this  plot,  with  other 
conspirators,  against  the  Queen's  life,  and  invited  him  to 
make  a  clean  breast  of  it.  But  Gerard  was  proof  against 
this  guile,  and  refused  to  compromise  anyone.  Again 
recourse  was  had  to  torture.  Sir  William  Waad,  summon- 
ing the  chief  superintendent  of  the  tortures,  handed  over 
the  prisoner  to  him,  saying,  "  I  deliver  this  man  into 
your  hands.  You  are  to  rack  him  twice  a  day  until 
such  time  as  he  chooses  to  confess." 

Forming  the  same  procession  as  on  the  previous  day 
the  dismal  party  again  descended  to  the  torture  chamber, 
and  again  the  torture  of  the  gauntlets  was  applied,  and 
this  day  it  was  double  torture,  from  the  maimed  con- 
dition of  the  wretched  priest's  wrists.  As  he  hung  the 
enraged  Lieutenant  stormed  up  and  down  the  chamber 
hurling  abuse  at  him,  cursing  him,  and  ordering  him  to 
confess.  Yet  was  Father  Gerard  still  dauntless,  and  still 
held  out.     Often  he  swooned   from  sheer  agony  and 


TORTURES  225 

could  with  difficulty  be  revived,  but  he  swore  that  they 
might  kill  him,  but  he  would  not  utter  a  word  of  con- 
fession. At  length  Waad  desisted,  for  he  was  afraid  of 
the  public  scandal  if  he  killed  a  man  under  torture.  So 
the  prisoner  crept  away  again  to  his  prison  in  the  Salt 
Tower. 

Here,  nothing  daunted,  and  though  his  hands  were 
useless,  Father  Gerard  made  plans  for  escape.  Over  the 
way,  in  the  neighbouring  Cradle  Tower,  was  imprisoned 
another  Roman  Catholic  priest,  by  name  John  Arden. 
The  two  priests  could  easily  see  each  other,  and  Gerard 
persuaded  his  gaoler  to  allow  him  to  go  across  the  corner 
of  the  Queen's  garden  to  visit  his  fellow-prisoner.  The 
two  thereupon  concocted  a  plan  of  escape  from  the 
Cradle  Tower  which  hes  quite  close  to  the  Thames. 
Father  Gerard  wrote  a  letter  with  invisible  ink  made  of 
orange  juice,  and  managed  to  get  this  conveyed  to  a 
friend  outside.  This  was  to  ask  for  a  long  thin  string 
with  a  leaden  weight  attached  to  it.  Arrangements 
were  also  made  that  on  a  certain  dark  night  a  boat  was 
to  hover  close  under  the  wharf  near  the  Cradle  Tower. 

All  went  well  on  the  fateful  night.  Gerard  obtained 
leave  to  stay  a  little  later  with  his  friend,  and  both  climb- 
ing to  the  roof  slung  the  lead  out  on  to  the  river.  Their 
friends  caught  it  and  attached  thereto  a  stout  rope. 
This  the  two  priests  hauled  in  and  made  fast  to  a  turret 
on  the  Cradle  Tower.  Then  Gerard  going  first,  in  spite 
of  his  maimed  hands,  painfully  worked  his  way  down, 
and  was  joyfully  received  in  the  boat  ;  next  came  Arden, 
and  not  a  cat  stirred  nor  dog  barked.  WilHng  arms  now 
bent  to  the  oars,  and  the  escape  was  perfected.  Nor 
were  the  priests  again  taken. 

This  is  one  of  the  very  few  successful  attempts  made 
to  escape  from  the  Tower,  in  all  its  long  history.  It 
took  three  weeks  before  absolute  paralysis  left  Friar 
Gerard's  hands,  and  it  was  five  months  before  the  sense 
of  touch  returned.  Right  or  wrong  he  was  a  brave 
fellow,  and  no  one  now,  or  even  then,  except  perchance 
Sir  William  Waad,  would  regret  his  successful  escape. 


226  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

It  is  not  often  that  we  read  of  a  woman  being  tortured 
in  the  Tower,  but  the  well-known  case  of  Anne  Askew 
occurred  towards  the  end  of  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 
This  lady  was  a  violent  Reformer,  of  the  type  made 
famihar  to  us  in  the  warhke  days  of  the  Suffragettes. 
She  even  deserted  her  husband  in  order  the  better  to 
carry  on  her  propaganda.  She  may  have  been  a  good 
woman,  or  only  out  for  notoriety,  but  anyway  she  was  a 
brave  woman.  At  last  she  became  so  troublesome  that 
she  was  arrested  for  heresy,  in  June  1546,  and  com- 
mitted (word  of  ill  omen)  to  the  Tower.  Some  historians 
suggest  that  her  imprisonment  was  a  subtle  blow  at 
Katherine  Parr  the  new  Queen,  whose  friend  she  was, 
and  who  herself  was  perhaps  somewhat  injudiciously 
loquacious  on  religious  subjects,  at  an  era  when  all  had 
to  walk  warily,  and  especially  so  a  wife  of  Henry  VIII. 
There  is  some  ground  for  this  opinion,  for  we  find  that 
after  her  examination,  which  ehcited  nothing,  she  was 
ordered  to  be  put  to  the  rack,  candidly  "  in  order  to 
incriminate  certain  high  ladies." 

The  inquisitors  appointed  to  thus  examine  the  poor 
lady  were  Wriothesley,  the  Lord  Chancellor  ;  Rich,  an 
eminent  lawyer  ;  and  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower,  Sir 
A.  Knyvett. 

Apparently  the  rack  was  not  at  once  apphed,  merely 
the  terror  of  this  gruesome  instrument  and  its  hideous 
surroundings,  in  that  deep  and  dark  chamber  of  horrors 
beneath  the  White  Tower,  were  first  tried.  For  a  whole 
hour  the  victim  sat  on  the  edge  of  the  rack,  and  argued 
religious  doctrines  with  her  judges,  but  confess,  or  coni- 
promise  any,  she  would  not.  So  eventually  she  was  laid 
on  the  rack,  and  the  screws  turned  at  first  mildly  and 
then  more  harshly,  but  still  though  closely  pressed  by  the 
inquisitors  she  would  reveal  nothing.  It  is  related  that 
at  length  Wriothesley  became  so  exasperated  with  the 
woman's  obstinacy,  that  he  gave  the  rack  an  additional 
wrench  with  his  own  hand,  whereupon  she  fainted  with 
utter  agony. 

This  was  too  much  for  Sir  A.  Knyvett,  who  seems  to 


TORTURES  227 

have  been  a  decent  enough  person  ;  so  that  he  angrily 
protested,  and  insisted  that  the  woman  had  borne 
enough,  and  should  be  released.  This  he  accordingly 
ordered,  for  the  torturers  were  under  his  command,  to 
the  wrath  and  indignation  of  Wriothesley,  who  hotly 
insisted  that  the  woman  could,  and  should,  have  borne 
more.  The  two  then,  leaving  Anne  Askew  to  the  minis- 
trations of  the  surgeon,  dashed  oif,  each  to  tell  his  own 
tale  to  their  master  Henry  VIII.  Wriothesley  mounted 
his  horse  and  rode  off  to  Westminster,  but  Knyvett, 
knowing  well  the  bad  state  of  the  roads  even  in  the 
Metropolis,  and  seeing  the  tide  favourable,  jumped  into 
his  boat  at  the  Traitor's  Gate  and  sped  up  stream. 

Happily  for  Anne  Askew,  Knyvett  won  the  race 
and  first  obtained  the  monarch's  car.  By  good  fortune 
the  King  was  in  pleasant  mood,  and  had  already 
thoroughly  agreed  with  Sir  A.  Knyvett's  more  human 
views,  when  in  rode  the  Lord  Chancellor,  much  be- 
spattered with  mud,  and  in  wrathful  mood,  to  inform 
His  Majesty  that  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  was  no 
man  for  his  job,  being  too  lenient  and  tender-hearted. 
Henry  VIII  took  quite  the  opposite  view,  gave  the 
Chancellor  a  severe  rebuff,  and  "  straightway  dismissed 
him."  And  it  was  reported  later  that  the  Council  which 
took  its  cue  from  the  King  was  "  not  a  little  displeased 
at  its  being  reported  that  she  was  racked  at  the  Tower." 
Publicity  on  such  occasions  was  a  thing  not  to  be  courted, 
especially  where  a  woman  was  concerned. 

But  Anne  Askew,  though  she  was  not  racked  again, 
did  not  live  long  ;  for  that  same  year  she,  together  with 
three  men,  was  burnt  as  a  heretic  at  the  stake  at  Smitli- 
lield. 

A  case  of  torture  by  the  "  brakes  "  is  recorded  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  VIII.  This  was  an  implement  for  forcing 
out  or  breaking  the  prisoner's  teeth,  the  rudest  form  of 
dentistry  as  the  least  imagination  will  demonstrate.  One 
who  suffered  under  this  form  of  torture  was  Damport, 
who  together  with  Derham  and  Culpepper  were  accused 
of   misconduct   with    Queen    Katherine   Howard.      All 


228  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

three  were  tried  at  the  Guildhall  on  December  ist,  1541, 
under  the  orders  of  Henry  VIII,  and  Damport  when  they 
returned  to  the  Tower  was  subjected  to  torture  "  having 
his  teeth  forced  out  in  the  brakes."  Presumably  his 
inquisitors  thus  obtained  such  evidence  as  they  re- 
quired to  incriminate  the  others,  for  we  find  that  Dam- 
port  was  released,  having  apparently  turned  King's 
evidence  ;  whilst  Derham  and  Culpepper  were  executed 
at  Tyburn,  the  former  being  hanged,  whilst  the  latter 
was  drawn  and  quartered,  and  both  their  heads  were 
exposed  on  London  Bridge. 

A  well-known  case  of  torture  in  the  Tower  is  that  of 
Guy  Fawkes,  who  was  implicated  in  the  Gunpowder 
Plot,  which  aimed  at  blowing  up  the  King  and  Queen, 
and  the  Houses  of  Parliament  whilst  the  members  sat. 
Tlie  trial  of  Guy  Fawkes  was  an  occasion  of  considerable 
importance,  and  took  place  not  in  an  ordinary  Court  of 
Justice,  or  before  Judges  of  the  High  Court,  but  before 
a  special  Commission  assembled  in  the  Council  Chamber 
in  the  Lieutenant's  Lodgings  in  the  Tower. 

The  Commission  consisted  of  Robert  Cecil,  Earl  of 
Salisbury,  Secretary  of  State,  in  the  chair ;  Charles 
Howard,  Earl  of  Nottingham,  Lord  High  Admiral ; 
Charles  Blount,  Earl  of  Devon,  Lord  Lieutenant  of 
Ireland  ;  Henry  Howard,  Earl  of  Northampton,  Lord 
Privy  Seal.  It  is  of  considerable  interest  that  King  James' 
instructions  in  his  own  handwriting  to  the  Commission 
are  still  preserved,  and  those  v/ho  despair  of  their  own 
orthography  may  well  take  courage.  The  instructions 
read  : 

"  This  examinate  wolde  now  be  maid  to  ansoure  to 
formall  interrogatours 

1.  as  quhat  he  is,  for  I  can  neuer  yett  heare  of  any 

man  that  knowis  him 

2.  quhaire  he  uas  borne 

3.  quhat  uaire  his  parents  names 

4.  quhat  aage  is  he  of 

5.  quhaire  he  hath  liued 

6.  hou  he  hath  liued  and  by  quhat  trade  of  lyfe 


TORTURES  229 

7.  hou  he  ressaued  those  woundes  in  his  breste 

8.  if  he  uas  euer  in  seruice  uith  any  other  before 

percie,  and  quhat  they  uaire,  and  hou  long 

9.  hou  came  he  in  percics  seruice  by  quhat  meanes, 

and  at  quhat  tyme 

10.  quhat  tyme  uas  this  house  hyred  by  his  maister 

11.  and  hou  soone  after  the  possessing  of  it  did  he 

beginne  to  his  deuillishe  preparations 

12.  quhen  and  quhaire  Icrnid  he  to  speake  frenshe 

13.  quhat  gentle  womans  lettir  it  uas  that  uas  founde 

upon  him 

14.  and  quhairfor  doth  slie  giuc  him  an  other  name 

in  it  then  he  giues  to  him  selfe 

15.  If  he  uas  euer  a  papiste  and  if  so  quho  brocht  him 

up  in  it 

16 he  uolde  also  be  asked  in  quhat  company 

and  shippe  he  went  out  of  Englande  and  the 
porte  he  shipped  at,  and  the  like  quoestions 
wolde  be  asked  anent  the  forme  of  his  retourne, 
as  for  these  tromperie  waires  found  on  upon 
him  the  signification  and  use  of  euerie  one  of 

thaime   wolde    be   knov/in if   he   will 

not  other  wayes  confesse,  the  gentler  tortours 
are  to  be  first  usid  unto  him  et  sic  per  gradus 
ad  ima  tenditur,  and  so  god  spede  youre  goode 

^°^^^  James  R." 

Having  deciphered  this  document  the  Commission  set 
to  work,  and  failing  to  elicit  by  questioning  the  evidence 
they  required  to  get  out  of  Guy  Fawkes,  they  on  the 
second  day  proceeded  with  their  victim  to  the  torture 
chamber  in  the  White  Tower.  There  he  was  first 
threatened  with  the  rack,  and  shown  other  modes  of 
torture,  but  remaining  obdurate  was  subjected  to  the 
torture.  Being  laid  on  the  rack,  and  the  strain  taken,  he 
was  further  questioned,  but  again  without  avail.  Turn 
by  turn  the  rack  was  stretched,  till  after  thirty  minutes 
of  agony  the  wretched  prisoner  gasped  out  faintly  that 
he  would  tell  all  he  knew.    He  confessed  a  certain  amount, 


230  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

and  then  on  further  pressure  he  said,  that  if  the  Earl  of 
SaHsbury  were  sent  for,  he  would  privily  make  a  clean 
breast  of  all  he  knew  to  him. 

A  messenger  was  immediately  despatched  by  Sir 
WilHam  Waad,  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower,  who  was 
superintending  the  torture,  and  in  response  the  Earl  of 
Salisbury  arrived,  as  fast  as  his  horse  could  carry  him, 
from  his  residence  in  the  Strand.  The  examination 
then  continued,  and  at  the  end  the  prisoner  was  ordered 
to  sign  his  confession,  but  so  shaken  was  he  by  torture 
that  he  could  only  scrawl  the  one  word  "  Guido."  Guy 
Fawkes  was  eventually  hanged,  drawn,  and  quartered 
in  Palace  Yard  at  Westminster,  without  undergoing 
further  torture. 

It  is  often  recorded  regarding  the  execution  of  a 
prisoner  on  Tower  Hill,  or  at  Tyburn,  that  he  was  to  be 
"  hanged  in  chains."  Such  was  the  fate  amongst  others 
of  Sir  Gervase  Helw}'ss,  a  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower,  who 
two  years  after  the  crime  was  tried  and  sentenced  for 
complicity  in  the  poisoning  of  Sir  Thomas  Overbury,  a 
prisoner  under  his  charge  in  the  Bloody  Tower.  The 
general  impression  might  be  that  to  be  hanged  in  chains 
meant  to  be  hanged  with  a  chain  instead  of  with  a  rope ; 
or  more  generally  that  the  prisoner  before  being  hanged 
was  loaded  with  chains.  These,  however,  are  wrong 
impressions.  When  a  prisoner  was  sentenced  to  be 
hanged  in  chains,  he  was  first  hanged  in  the  ordinary 
way ;  that  is,  he  was  driven  in  a  cart  under  the  gallows, 
the  noose  was  placed  round  his  neck,  and  when  all  was 
ready  the  cart  was  driven  away,  leaving  the  culprit 
hanging.  When  life  was  extinct  the  body  was  taken  down, 
clothed  in  black  if  not  already  so,  and  tarred  all  over, 
face,  head,  and  hands  included,  as  a  rough  preservative. 
The  body  was  then  placed  upright  in  a  closely  fitting 
iron  cage,  and  thus  suspended  in  some  prominent 
situation  in  full  view  of  all  passers-by.  The  name  and 
crime  of  the  culprit  were  attached  to  the  cage,  so  that 
all  might  take  warning  thereby.  These  cages  used  some- 
times to  hang  for  long  periods,  as  much  as  twenty  years 


TORTURES  231 

on  occasions,  till  the  body  had  decayed  away  and  the 
smaller  bones  had  dropped  through  the  bottom  of  the 
cage.  Incidentally  the  whole  deterrent  effect  had  also 
departed  :  for  who  cared  for  what  had  happened  to  an 
obscure  criminal  twenty  years  before.  We  may,  howev^er, 
well  understand  the  citizens  on  dark  nights  hastening 
past  these  ghastly  relics  as  the  wind  shrieked  through 
them,  and  the  clank  of  metal  sounded  as  they  banged 
about.    Ghostly  sounds  they  might  well  be  called. 

To  be  beheaded  was  always  considered  even  from 
Roman  times  "  the  more  honorable  death,"  and  only 
those  of  high  rank  were  so  privileged.  Beheading  was 
introduced  into  England  by  William  the  Conqueror,  the 
first  Englishman  thus  to  suffer  being  Waltheof,  Earl  of 
Northumberland,  in  1076. ^ 

To  a  stout-hearted  soldier,  whatever  else  his  faults 
may  have  been,  is  due  the  abolition  of  the  tortures  in 
the  Tower.  There  was  a  certain  Lieutenant  Felton,  a 
soldier  brave  in  action,  and  about  to  be  promoted  to 
Captain,  who  had  served  with  much  distinction  in  France, 
but  who  was  by  nature  a  fanatic.  This  fanaticism  led 
him  to  murder  "  Steenie,"  Duke  of  Buckingham,  against 
whom  he  had  neither  a  professional,  nor  personal  ani- 
mosity. He  merely  thought  him  a  bad  man,  and  one  to 
be  removed  from  God's  earth,  which  accordingly  he 
proceeded  with  his  own  right  hand  to  accomplish. 

This  was  in  the  days  of  Charles  I,  when  Laud  was 
Archbishop,  and  Keeper  of  the  King's  conscience.  As 
was  the  habit  of  thought  in  those  days,  any  murder 
of  this  description  was  suspected  of  having  political 
or  religious  motives,  the  handiwork  of  a  body,  large  or 
small,  of  conspirators.  When  therefore  Felton  was 
being  questioned  by  Archbishop  Laud  with  a  view  to 
extracting  incriminating  evidence  against  others,  he 
stoutly  maintained  that  the  deed  was  a  personal  one,  and 
denied  that  he  had  any  confederates.  The  Archbishop, 
in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  the  times,  threatened 
the  prisoner,  and   exclaimed  impatiently,   "  You  must 

*  For  first  and  last  executions  on  Tower  Hill,  see  p.  92. 


232  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

confess,  or  go  to  the  rack."  But  Felton  was  not  to  be 
intimidated,  and  made  a  reply  which  undermined  the 
whole  structure  of  confessions  extracted  by  torture. 
Quoth  he,  "  If  I  am  racked,  my  lord,  I  may  happen  in 
my  agony  to  accuse  your  lordship."  The  Archbishop, 
somewhat  taken  aback  by  this  bold  and  embarrassing 
utterance,  went  to  the  King  and  asked  for  orders.  The 
King,  who  was  even  then  feeling  a  little  insecure  on  his 
hrone,  replied  guardedly  that  Felton  was  to  be  "  tor- 
tured to  the  furthest  stretch  allowed  by  law,"  thereby 
throwing  the  onus  of  an  illegal  operation  on  the  law 
officers  of  the  Crown.  The  bench  of  Judges  having 
assembled  could  come  to  but  one  conclusion,  which  was, 
that  "  torture  could  not  be  applied  according  to  the 
English  law." 

From  that  day  forth  all  racks,  screws,  ropes,  hooks, 
and  other  agents  of  torture  were  relegated  to  holes  and 
passages  in  the  Tower,i  where  they  gradually  fell  into 
decay,  and  disappeared.  There  remain  only  the  few 
which  long  after  were  recovered,  and  are  now  exhibited 
as  historical  curiosities. 

*  Encyclopcedia  Britanntca, 


XVI 

THE   CHAPELS   IN  THE  TOWER 

Four  chapels  or  oratories — St.  John's  the  Evangelist  in  the  White 
Tower — Founded  by  the  Conqueror — Enriched  by  Henry  III 
— Knights  of  the  Bath  and  their  vigil — Ancient  window's  — 
Many  historic  scenes — Changes  of  religion — Dismantled  as  a 
chapel  by  Charles  II — Used  as  a  storehouse  for  records — 
Restored  to  public  worship  by  Queen  Victoria — St.  Peter  ad 
Vincula — The  Prisoners'  Chapel — Original  chapel  built  by 
Henry  I — Present  chapel  by  Edward  I — Improved  by  Henry  III 
and  Henry  VIII — Its  tragic  history — The  Committee  of  1876 — 
How  the  bones  of  the  mighty  dead  are  disposed — Restoration 
under  Queen  Victoria — The  brass  tablet — The  three  Lords — 
The  organ — Monuments — Communion  plate — Register  of 
Births,  Deaths,  and  Marriages — Some  noted  personages — The 
bell — The  Highland  deserters — Their  fate — Memorial  windows, 
their  need — The  procession  of  warders — The  oratory  in  the 
Wakefield  Tower — Murder  of  Henry  VI — The  oratory  of 
St.  Thomas  a  Becket. 

THERE  are  four  chapels,  or  oratories,  in  the 
Tower,  all  very  ancient,  and  each  with  an 
interesting  history.  The  two  principal  chapels 
are  those  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist  in  the 
White  Tower,  and  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula  on  Tower 
Green.  The  lesser  chapels,  or  oratories,  are  to  be  found 
in  the  Wakefield  Tower,  and  in  St.  Thomas'  Tower. 
St.  John's  was  used  by  the  kings  and  their  consorts,  and 
by  the  great  nobles  and  royal  retinue.  To  St.  Peter's 
went  the  soldiers  and  warders,  and  the  prisoners.  To 
which  latter  circumstance  by  some  is  attributed  the 
singular  name  "  ad  vincula,"  that  is  "  in  chains."  The 
smaller  chapels,  or  oratories,  were  used  more  for  private 
devotion  by  the  kings  and  their  courtiers. 
The  chapel  of   St.  John  the  Evangelist  is  probably 

233 


234  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

the  oldest,  and  certainly  the  largest  and  most  perfectly 
preserved  memorial  of  Norman  ecclesiastical  architecture 
in  England.  Unlike  the  majority  of  chapels  and  churches 
it  is  not  built  on  the  ground  level,  but  occupies  portions 
of  the  two  top  storeys  of  the  White  Tovi^er.  It  was 
built  in  the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  and  im- 
proved by  William  Rufus.  Under  Henry  III  it  was 
decorated  with  various  works  of  art  and  rich  tapestries, 
and  a  beautiful  mosaic  floor  was  added  ;  whilst  at  the 
west  end  was  placed  a  gilded  throne  to  form  a  royal  pew 
for  the  sovereign.  It  was  a  Chapel  Royal  then,  as  it  still 
is,  and  was  bedecked  accordingly. 

When,  however,  kings  no  longer  lived  in  the  Tower 
its  glories  gradually  departed  ;  its  rich  caparisons  were 
removed  elsewhere  or  stolen,  till  it  came  about  that  in 
the  reign  of  Charles  II  it  was,  by  an  Order  in  Council, 
dismantled  as  a  chapel.  For  some  centuries  after  this  it 
was  used  as  a  storehouse  for  State  records,  and  in  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  it  narrowly  escaped 
becoming  an  adjunct  of  the  Army  Clothing  Depart- 
ment. From  this  last  indignity  it  was  rescued  by  Queen 
Victoria,  who  with  the  helpful  guidance  of  the  Prince 
Consort  restored  the  ancient  edifice  to  its  sacred  use  ; 
and  though  austerely  plain  and  bare,  as  indeed  it  was  in 
the  Conqueror's  days,  it  has  been  properly  equipped,  is 
again  used  as  a  chapel,  and  is  open  to  worshippers  and 
visitors. 

This  chapel  is  551  feet  long  and  31  feet  wide,  and 
consists  of  a  nave  and  two  side  aisles.  At  the  east  end  is 
the  altar  before  which  knelt  many  a  sovereign  as  well  as 
the  Knights  of  the  Bath  in  their  long  night  vigil.  The 
ceiling,  which  is  arched,  is  supported  by  twelve  pillars, 
symbolical  of  the  twelve  apostles.  The  gallery,  which 
is  on  the  same  level  as  the  main  floor  above,  known  as 
a  triforium,  runs  round  the  chapel.  It  was  in  this 
gallery  that  the  Queens  and  their  ladies  sat  and  knelt, 
whilst  Mass  was  being  performed  beneath.  The  rich 
glass  windows  which  used  to  adorn  the  Chapel,  from 
time  to  time  through  the  centuries,  got  broken  and  were 


THE  CHAPELS  IN  THE  TOWER        235 

not  replaced,  but  whilst  the  restoration  of  Queen 
Victoria  was  in  progress  some  broken  glass  was  found,  it 
is  not  stated  where,  and  this  having  been  very  skilfully 
pieced  together  has  been  replaced  in  some  of  the  windows. 
Some  of  these,  which  are  of  considerable  antiquity,  arc 
sufficiently  quaint.  One,  for  instance,  represents  the 
Roman  soldier  dressed  in  Enghsh  armour  awaking  with 
horror  and  surprise  to  notice  that  the  sepulchre,  repre- 
sented by  a  stone  box  with  the  lid  half  off,  is  empty. 
Another  depicts  Joshua  with  one  hand  on  the  sun  and 
the  other  on  the  moon,  holding  them  still  till  he  has  com- 
pleted the  slaying  of  the  Amalekites.  Another  window, 
known  as  the  Henry  VH  window,  shows  the  hawthorn 
bush  in  which  the  King  found  his  crown  on  the  battle- 
field of  Bosworth,  with  the  initials  H.  R.  underneath. 
Several  other  windows  have  the  royal  escutcheons  of 
different  kings,  and  on  one  are  the  initials  M.  R.,  being 
those  of  the  Tudor  Queen  Mary. 

The  old  chapel  of  St.  John,  besides  being  the  house  of 
prayer  of  many  kings  and  queens,  has  seen  many  a  strange 
and  historic  scene.  Before  the  altar  was  kneehng  Simon 
Sudbury,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  the  reign  of 
Richard  I,  when  the  rebels  with  Wat  Tyler  at  their  head 
burst  in  and  dragged  him  forth  to  instantaneous  execu- 
tion. Here  lay  the  body  of  Henry  VI,  murdered  in  the 
Httle  oratory  in  the  Wakefield  Tower,  for  one  night 
before  it  was  taken  out  and  exposed  at  the  Cross  in 
Cheapside,  that  the  people  might  know  the  King^  was 
dead.  Sir  John  Brackenbury  was  engaged  in  his  orisons 
in  this  chapel  when  the  messengers  came  from  Richard 
of  Gloucester  suggesting  that  he  should  connive  at  the 
murder  of  the  young  Princes  in  the  Bloody  Tower. 
Surrounded  by  eight  hundred  tapers  set  in  candlesticks 
lay  in  state  for  two  days  the  dead  body  of  Ehzabeth  of 
Vork,  wife  of  Henry  VII,  who  died  in  the  Tower  in 
child-birth.  It  was  here,  perforce,  at  Queen  Mary's 
bidding,  that  her  sister  the  Princess  Ehzabeth  attended 
Mass.  On  these  stones  knelt  Lady  Jane  Grey  during  her 
nine  days'  reign  ;    and  on  this  spot  John  Dudley,  Duke 


236  THE  TOWER  EROM  WITHIN 

of  Northumberland,  publicly  changed  his  faith  in  hopes 
of  saving  his  head,  his  example  followed  by  the  Earl  of 
Warwick  and  Sir  John  Gates. 

Like  St.  Peter's  on  the  Green  this  chapel  has  seen 
constant  changes  in  the  form  of  its  services.  Sometimes 
the  worship  has  been  in  accordance  with  the  practice  of 
the  Church  of  Rome,  and  sometimes  with  that  of  the 
Church  of  England.  Monks  and  priests  have  been  in 
possession  for  a  time,  and  then  have  been  driven  forth  as 
outcasts.  A  turn  of  the  wheel,  a  few  years  of  affliction, 
and  again  their  turn  came  round.  And  so  on  through 
the  Middle  Ages,  till  the  Church  of  England  was  firmly 
established  in  these  isles. 

But  through  all  these  changes,  and  lights  and  shades 
of  tragedy  and  glory,  the  old  chapel  has  stood  firm  and 
unshaken  as  the  master  hand  of  Gundulph,  Bishop  of 
Rochester,  fashioned  it. 

Of  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula,  Macaulay  has  written,  "  In 
truth  there  is  no  sadder  spot  on  earth  than  this  little 
cemetery  "  ;  and  he  who  visits  it  will  echo  with  reverence 
these  simple  words.  Standing  on  the  edge  of  Tower 
Green,  this  chapel  is  in  itself  a  history  and  an  inspiration. 
Beneath  the  flags  on  which  to-day  soldiers  kneel  and 
pray,  lie  buried  hundreds  of  the  legion  of  the  lost,  and 
blest.  Queens  and  their  courtiers,  dukes  more  powerful 
than  kings,  great  leaders,  great  statesmen,  soldiers,  and 
prelates,  last  bowed  the  head  and  took  the  cup  and  eat 
the  bread  of  sacrament,  at  these  altar  rails.  Then  passing 
out  for  a  few  brief  hours,  returned  again  through  the 
bitter  portals  of  the  block. 

The  chapel  of  old  was  built  by  Henry  I,  son  of  the 
Conqueror,  eight  hundred  years  ago,  but  the  hand  of 
ages,  the  ravages  of  fire,  the  improver  and  the  destroyer, 
led  to  its  gradual  decay.  So  that  the  building  as  we  now 
see  it  is  the  work  of  Edward  I,  embellished  by  Henry  III, 
repaired  and  restored  into  its  present  architectural  con- 
dition by  Henry  VIII.  The  chestnut  beams  of  the  roof, 
and  most  of  the  windows  and  arches,  are  therefore  of 
this  last  period.    That  the  older  chapel  lay  outside  the 


THE  CHAPELS   IN  THE  TOWER        237 

northern  wall  of  the  present  structure  is  indicated ;  for 
the  crypt,  in  which  is  a  very  ancient  Norman  arch,  lies 
there,  and  the  crypt  was  always  built  directly  beneath 
a  church.  The  north  wall  of  the  present  chapel  may 
therefore  well  have  been  the  south  wall  of  the  older 
building. 

Queen  Anne  Boleyn  and  her  brother  Lord  Rochford 
are  the  first  recorded  as  having  been  buried  close  to  the 
High  Altar,  nearly  four  hundred  years  ago  ;  and  during 
those  four  hundred  years  many  strange  things  have 
happened  to  the  narrow  spot  where  so  many  great 
people  now  lie  buried.  The  old  chapel,  and  its  tragic 
history,  seems  to  have  been  forgotten  for  generations 
and  centuries  at  a  time,  and  it  remained  for  Queen 
Victoria  to  bring  back  to  memory  the  historic  past.  By 
Her  Majesty's  command  in  1876  a  Committee,  suitably 
composed,^  was  assembled  at  the  chapel  to  give  its 
recommendations.  The  work  of  this  Committee  was  of 
great  value,  not  only  historically,  but  in  making  it  im- 
possible for  future  interference  with  this  hallowed 
place.  It  seems  scarcely  conceivable  to  us  that  through 
ignorance,  certainly  in  no  spirit  of  vandalism,  some 
nameless  iconoclast  had  in  1750  dug  through  the  bones 
of  Queen  Anne  Boleyn,  and  buried  Hannah  Beresford 
beneath  her.  Again  in  1816  a  rude  disturbance  of  inter- 
vening sepulture  had  been  made  in  order  to  bury  Colonel 
Maclean.  As  late  as  1870  the  bones  of  John  Dudley, 
Duke  of  Northumberland,  had  been  accidentally  shifted 
for  the  interment  of  Sir  John  Fox  Burgoyne. 

Such  seeming  desecration  would  appear  to  be  incredible, 
but  without  doubt  the  explanation  lies  in  the  fact  that 
the  bodies  of  the  famous  and  historic  persons  were  from 
reasons  of  pohcy  buried  "  in  great  obscurity,"  and  thus 

I  The  Right  Hon.  Gerard  J.  Noel,  First  Commissioner  of  Her 
Majesty's  Works ;  Mr.  A.  B.  Mitford  (afterwards  Lord  Redesdale)  ; 
Col.  G.  Bryan  Milman,  c.b.,  Resident  Governor  of  the  Tower ;  The 
Hon.  Spencer  Ponsonby  Fane,  c.b..  Comptroller  Lord  Chamberlain's 
Department ;  Dr.  Frederic  J,  Mouat,  f.r.c'.  ;  Mr.  Doyne  C.  Bell, 
Secretary  to  Her  Majesty's  Privy  Purse. 


238  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 


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THE  CHAPELS   IN  THE  TOWER         239 

through  the  lapse  of  centuries  all  trace  had  temporarily- 
been  lost  of  their  places  of  interment.  For  long  periods 
indeed  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula  and  its  vicinity  had  been 
used  as  a  parish  burial  ground,  and  thus  hundreds  of 
perfectly  worthy,  but  entirely  uninteresting  persons, 
lie  buried  above  and  below  and  on  each  side  of  men  and 
women  who  were  landmarks  in  the  great  history  of 
England.  Out  of  fifteen  celebrated  persons,  who  from 
historical  research  it  was  established  had  been  buried 
near  the  high  altar,  the  Committee  were  only  definitely 
enabled  to  recognize  the  remains  of  seven,  and  with 
becoming  reticence  refrained  from  committing  them- 
selves to  asserting  that  other  small  and  scattered  re- 
mains belonged  to  any  one  historic  person.  It  will 
therefore  be  observed  that  in  the  present  arrangement 
(see  diagram  B),  only  those  stones  bear  inscriptions 
which  commemorate  the  known  remains  of  certain 
people,  whilst  others  are  left  bare,  and  a  general  list 
made  on  one  stone. 

During  their  investigations  it  became  evident  to  the 
Committee  that  the  whole  flooring  of  the  chapel,  as  well 
as  the  chancel,  required  examination,  for  owing  to  shallow 
or  imperfect  sepulture  the  flagstones  were  in  several 
places  sinking.  On  further  examination  it  became 
evident  that  the  wisest  course  was  to  remove  all  the 
remains  under  the  flagstones  in  the  nave,  and  to  collect 
them  in  cofiins  and  re-bury  them  in  the  crypt.  This 
was  accordingly  done,  and  the  flagstones  with  their 
inscriptions  replaced  on  a  surer  foundation. 

When  the  pavement  within  the  altar  rails  was  removed 
by  the  Committee  in  1876,  the  plan  (diagram  A),  pre- 
pared with  much  care  and  historical  research  by  Mr.  Bell, 
was  taken  as  a  basis,  and  at  once  proved  its  correctness. 
After  excavating  only  two  feet  at  the  spot  where  Queen 
Anne  Boleyn  was  judged  to  have  been  buried,  the  bones 
of  a  female  neatly  piled  together  were  found,  and  these 
had  been  so  placed  by  those  who  had  centuries  later 
delved  a  deeper  grave  for  Hannah  Bcresford.^     Happily 

^  Buried  in  1780. 


^240  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 


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THE  CHAPELS  IN  THE  TOWER         24! 
(See  diagram  B.) 

1.  James,  Duke  of  Monmouth.    Born  1649.    Beheaded  on  Tower  Hill 

July  15th,  1685.    Aged  36  years. 

2.  Queen  Anne  Boleyn.    Born  1507.    Beheaded  on  the  Green  within 

the  Tower  May  19th,  1536.    Aged  29  years. 

3.  Queen  Katherine  Howard.     Born  1520.     Beheaded  on  the  Green 

within  the  Tower  February  13th,  1542.    Aged  22  years. 

4.  Jane,  Viscountess  Rochford.    Date  of  birth  not  known.    Beheaded 

at  the  same  time,  and  place,  as  Queen  Katherine  Howard. 

5.  Sir  Allan  Apsley,  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  of  London.     Buried 

May  24th,  1630. 

6.  Edward  Seymour,  Duke  of  Somerset,  the  Lord  Protector.    Date  of 

birth  not  known.    Beheaded  on  Tower  Hill  January  22nd,  1552. 

7.  Field-Marshal  Sir  John  Fox  Burgoyne,  Constable  of  the  Tower  of 

London.    Born  July  24th,  1782.    Died  October  7th,  1871.    Aged 
89  years. 

8.  John  Dudley,  Duke  of  Northumberland.    Born  1502.    Beheaded  on 

Tower  Hill  August  22nd,  1553.    Aged  51  years. 

9.  Margaret  Clarence,  Countess  of  SaUsbury.     Born  1470.     Beheaded 

on  the  Green  within  the  Tower  May  27th,  1541.    Aged  71  years_ 
ID.  Lord  Guildford  Dudley,  husband  of  Lady  Jane  Grey,  and  son  of 
John  Dudley,  Duke  of  Northumberland.    Date  of  birth  not  known. 
Executed  on  Tower  Hill  February  12th,  1554. 

11.  Lady  Jane  Grey,  the  Queen  of  nine  days.    Born  1537.    Executed  on 

the  Green  within  the  Tower  February  12th,  1554.    Aged  17  years. 

12.  Henry  Grey,  Duke  of  Suffolk,  father  of  Lady  Jane  Grey.     Date  of 

birth  not  known.    Beheaded  on  Tower  Hill  February  22nd,  1554. 

13.  Thomas  Howard,  4th  Duke  of  Norfolk.     Born  1536.    Beheaded  on 

Tower  Hill  June  2nd,  1572.    Aged  36  years. 

14.  PhiHp,  Earl  of  Arundel,  only  son  of  the  4th  Duke  of  Norfolk.    Born 

June  28th,  1557.     Died  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower  October  19th, 
1595.     Aged  38  years. 

15.  Robert  Devereux,  Earl  of  Essex.    Born  November  loth,  1567.     Be- 

headed on  the  Green  within  the  Tower  February  25th,    1601. 
Aged  33  years, 

16.  Sir  Thomas  Overbury.     Born  1581.    Died  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower 

September  15th,  1613.    Aged  32  years. 


24^  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

one  of  the  Committee  was  a  scientific  surgical  expert, 
Dr.  Mouat,  who  after  carefully  measuring  the  bones  and 
skull,  came  to  the  conclusion  that  they  were  "  all  con- 
sistent vnth.  the  published  descriptions  of  the  Queen 
(Anne  Boleyn),  and  the  bones  of  the  skull  might  well 
belong  to  the  person  portrayed  by  the  painting  by 
Holbein  in  the  collection  of  the  Earl  of  Warwick."  As 
demonstrating  the  scientific  exactitude  of  Dr.  Mouat,  as 
apart  from  opinion  or  bias  in  any  direction,  it  is  interest- 
ing to  note  that  when  the  portions  of  another  female 
skeleton  were  unearthed,  at  the  spot  which  might  reason- 
ably have  been  the  burying  place  of  Queen  Katherine 
Howard,  Dr.  Mouat  declared  that  they  "  were  those  of 
a  woman  probably  forty  years  of  age  of  larger  frame 
than  Katherine  Howard." 

There  was  little  difficulty  in  establishing  the  remains 
of  James,  Duke  of  Monmouth,  for  he  lay  north  and 
south  by  himself  under  the  Altar.  Close  in  front  of  him, 
and  six  inches  deeper,  was  found  a  large  male  skeleton 
lying  face  downwards  with  the  head  north-east  and  the 
feet  south-west,  probably  disturbed  by  later  interments ; 
notably  that  of  the  notorious  Judge  Jeffreys,  who  was 
buried  "  by  the  Duke  of  Monmouth,"  but  afterwards 
removed  to  St.  Mary,  Aldermanbury.  The  large  skeleton 
has  not  yet  been  identified,  but  it  is  judged  that  he  was 
buried  there  after  the  Countess  of  Salisbury,  1541,  and 
after  Sir  Allan  Apsley,  1630,  as  the  remains  of  the 
latter  probably,  and  the  former  possibly,  had  been  dis- 
turbed thereby.  A  broken  tobacco  pipe  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  reminiscent  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh, ^ 
was  found  close  to  this  body. 

The  remains  of  those  who  had  been  identified  were 
carefully  placed  together  in  lead-lined  caskets,  re-buried, 
and  marked  by  tablets,  as  shown  in  the  diagram,  within 
the  altar  rails.  Outside  the  altar  rails  is  a  plain  stone 
giving  the  names  of  those  buried  within  the  rails,  but 
the  exact  location  of  whose  bones  is  not  known.     The 

'^  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  was,  however,  not  buried  in  the  Tower  but  in 
St.  Margaret's,  Westminster. 


THE  CHAPELS  IN  THE  TOWER        243 

diagram  shows  the  present  position  of  the  memorial 
stones. 1 

On  a  brass  tablet  fixed  to  the  western  wall  of  the 
chapel  are  inscribed  the  names  of  thirty-four  personages 
of  renown  who  were  executed,  or  died  in  the  Tower, 
and  were  buried  in  the  chapel.  Amongst  these  will  be 
found  included  those  already  mentioned,  who  are  buried 
within  the  altar  rails. 

The  complete  list  on  the  brass  tablet  reads  : 

1.  Gerald  Fitzgerald,  Earl  of  Kildare  a.d.  1534 

2.  John  Fisher,  Bishop  of  Rochester  1535 

3.  Sir  Thomas  More  1535 

4.  George  Boleyn,  Viscount  Rochford  1536 

5.  Queen  Anne  Boleyn  153^ 

6.  Thomas  Cromwell,  Earl  of  Essex  _  1540 

7.  Margaret  of  Clarence,  Countess  of  Salisbury 1 541 

8.  Queen  Katherine  Howard  i54^ 

9.  Jane,  Viscountess  Rochford  I54^ 

10.  Thomas,  Lord  Seymour  of  Sudeley  1549 

11.  Edward  Seymour,  Duke  of  Somerset  1551 

12.  Sir  Ralph  Vane  I55^ 

13.  Sir  Thomas  Arundell  155^ 

14.  John  Dudley,  Duke  of  Northumberland       1553 

15.  Lord  Guildford  Dudley  1554- 

16.  Lady  Jane  Grey  ^554 

17.  Henry  Grey,  Duke  of  Suffolk  1554 

18.  Thomas  Howard,  Duke  of  Norfolk  1572 

19.  Sir  John  Perrott  15  9^ 

20.  PhiHp,  Earl  of  Arundel  {a)  15  95 

{a)  Died  and  buried  in  the  Tower,  but  removed  to  Arundel  in  1624. 

21.  Robert  Devereux,  Earl  of  Essex  1601 

22.  Sir  Thomas  Ovcrbury  (b)  1613 
(/?)  Poisoned. 

23.  Thomas,  Lord  Grey  de  WiUoii  (r)  1614 

if)  Reprie\ed  on  the  scaffold  and  died  in  St.  Thoniab'  Tower,  To^ver 
of  London. 

^  It  may  be  noticed  that  whereas  the  Committee  records  that  the 
remains  were  replaced  in  the  order  in  which  they  were  found,  that  is 
"  the  two  dukes  between  two  queens,"  the  memorial  stones  are  not  so 
placed. 


244  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

24.  Sir  John  Eliot  {d)  a.d.  1263 

{d)  Died  "  not  without  suspicion  of  foul  play." 

25.  William,  ViscouiTt  Stafford  1680 

26.  Arthur,  Earl  of  Essex  (<?)  1683 

{e)  According  to  the  Chapel  register  "  cutt  his  throat."  Some  think 
he  was  murdered. 

27.  James,  Duke  of  Monmouth  1685 

28.  George,  Lord  Jeffreys  (/)  1689 
(/)  Died,  some  say  of  drink,  removed  1693  to  St.  Mary's,  Aldermanbury, 

29.  John  Rotier  {g)  1703 

{g)  Died.    Mineralist  at  the  Mint. 

30.  Edward,  Lord  Grifhn  (/;)  1710 
{h)  Died. 

31.  WilHam,  Marquis  of  TuUibardine  (/")  1746 
(;•)  Died. 

32.  Wilham,  Earl  of  Kilmarnock  1746 

33.  Arthur,  Lord  Balmerino  ^74^ 

34.  Simon,  Lord  Eraser  of  Lovat  I747 

Other  prisoners  of  distinction  who  met  their  fate  at 
the  Tower,  but  were  buried  elsewhere  are  : 

Henry,  Earl  of  Surrey,  who  was  beheaded  on 
January  19th,  1546-7,  and  buried  in  the  churchyard  of 
All  Hallow's,  Barking,  but  whose  body  was  in  1614 
removed  to  Framlingham. 

Lady  Arabella  Stuart,  who  after  long  imprisonment, 
died  in  the  Tower,  and  was  buried  in  the  Stuart  vault 
in  Westminster  Abbey,  October  29th,  161 8. 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh  who  after  being  imprisoned  three 
times  in  the  Tower,  once  for  a  period  of  thirteen  years, 
was  tried  at  Westminster  for  treason  and  executed  in 
Palace  Yard.  His  body  was  buried  in  the  chancel  of 
St.  Margaret's,  Westminster,  but  his  head  was  embalmed 
and  taken  away  by  Lady  Raleigh. 

Wcntv^'orth,  Earl  of  Strafford,  who  was  beheaded  on 
Tower  Hill,  May  12th,  1641,  but  whose  remains  were 
removed  and  buried  at  Wentworth  Woodhouse,  in 
Yorkshire. 


THE  CHAPELS   IN  THE  TOWER         245 

Archbishop  Laud,  who  was  beheaded  on  Tower  Hill, 
on  January  loth,  1645,  was  buried  in  the  churchyard 
of  All  Hallows  Barking,  but  his  remains  were  later 
removed  to  St.  John's  College,  Oxford. 

Near  the  foot  of  the  brass  tablet,  on  which  the  thirty- 
four  names  are  inscribed,  is  an  obscure  flagstone  which 
would  escape  all  but  very  critical  observation.  There 
are  no  names  on  it,  and  nothing  in  the  dim  light  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  any  other  paving  stone.  Yet  on  close 
examination  it  will  be  found  that  there  are  lightly 
engraved  on  it  two  circles,  each  the  size  of  half  a  crown, 
and  a  lozenge,  and  through  these  runs  an  arrow,  east  to 
west.  According  to  the  traditions  of  the  Tower  "  the 
three  Lords"  of  the  Scottish  rebellion  of  1745  were  laid 
under,  or  near  this  stone  ;  but  the  tradition  appears  to 
have  been  lost  sight  of  till  during  the  sanitary  and 
architectural  improvements  of  the  past  century,  the 
remains  of  the  coffins  of  these  three  Lords,  Kilmarnock, 
Balmerino,  and  Eraser  of  Lovat,  were  discovered  with 
their  name  plates.  These  name  plates  may  now  be  seen 
in  a  glass  case,  on  the  west  wall  next  to  the  brass  tablet. 
The  remains  were  transferred  with  the  others,  and  placed 
in  the  crypt.  It  is  somewhat  curious  in  this  connection, 
that  in  accordance  with  the  custom  prevailing  in  old 
days  of  naming  taverns  and  inns  after  Royal,  or  vv ell- 
known  persons,  that  there  is  to  this  day  a  public-house 
in  the  Minorics,  close  by  the  Tower,  called  "  Tlie  Three 
Lords." 

The  organ  has  a  very  interesting  history,  having  been 
transferred  from  the  Palace  of  Whitehall  to  the  Tower. 
It  bears  a  brass  plate  on  which  is  inscribed  : 

"  This  organ  originally  built  by  Father  Schmidt  in 
1676  by  command  of  His  Majesty  King  Charles  the 
Second  (being  the  first  built  by  him  in  England)  was 
rebuilt  by  Elliott  in  18 14  under  the  superintendence  of 
Richard  Massey  Esq.  Organist  of  His  Majesty's  Chapel 
Royal  Whitehall  from  1837  to  1877. 

"  The  organ  was  again  rebuilt  and  enlarged  by  Hill  & 
Son  under   the  superintendence  of  Charles   Sherwood 


2  {.6  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

Jekyll  Esq  Organist  of  Her  Majesty's  Chapel  Royals 
S''  James  &  Whitehall  1877."  Some  of  the  original  pipes 
are  in  the  present  organ.  The  carvings  are  attributed 
to  Grinling  Gibbons. 

Close  to  the  organ  is  a  fine  sarcophagus,  with  two 
recumbent  life-sized  figures,  made  of  alabaster,  lying 
on  it.  A  Knight  and  his  Ladye.  This  monument  was 
erected  in  1522,  by  Sir  Richard  Cholmondeley,  Lieu- 
tenant of  the  Tower,  and  he  and  his  wife  intended 
eventually  to  occupy  it.  But  fate  otherwise  ordained 
and  they  died  elsewhere.  Sir  Richard  not  till  1544,  and 
both  were  elsewhere  buried.  The  sarcophagus  when 
opened  many  centuries  afterwards  was  found  to  contain 
nothing  but  the  fragments  of  an  ancient  font  of  the 
period  of  Edward  III,  and  this  has  been  set  up  and  stands 
in  the  south-west  corner  of  the  chapel.  That  Sir  Richard 
had  no  intention  of  being  killed  in  action,  or  in  mortal 
combat,  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  his  gauntlets 
lie  on  the  ground  near  his  feet  ;  whereas  a  knight  who 
was  killed  in  action  is  shown  wearing  his  gauntlets.  His 
feet  rest  on  a  small  lion,  which  said  lion  has  his  tail 
pulled  through  his  hind  legs  ;  the  tail  is  then  split  in 
two,  and  covers  the  knight's  feet.  The  allegorical  or 
other  meaning  of  this  symbol  has  not  been  ascertained. 
The  knight  wears  round  his  neck  an  S  collar  with  a 
flower  as  a  pendant.  The  S  collar  is  longer  than  that  on 
any  known  effigy,  and  reaches  to  the  waist.  Opinions 
appear  to  be  divided  as  to  what  this  S  collar  denotes. 
Some  say  it  is  the  collar  of  an  ancient  Order,  and  that 
the  S.S.  stands  for  Sancta  Sanctissimus.  More  probably 
however  S.  stands  for  "  Souvenance  "  or  remembrance, 
and  the  flower  is  a  forget-me-not.  Lord  Scales  wore  a 
garter  with  this  device  and  flower  at  a  Tournament  at 
Sheen  in  1465. 

The  most  conspicuous  monument  in  the  chapel  is 
that  to  the  memory  of  the  two  Blounts,  father  and  son. 
Sir  Richard  and  Sir  Michael,  who  were  both  Lieutenants 
of  the  Tower  in  the  sixteenth  century.  According  to 
tradition  they  conceived  the  quaint  conceit  of  placing 


THE   CHAPELS   IN  THE  TOWER        247 

their  skulls  in  niches  in  the  alabaster  freize  which  forms 
the  monument.  One  of  these  skulls  is  still  in  place,  and 
was  not  long  ago  taken  down  and  verified  as  a  genuine 
skull.  The  other  was  lost  or  mislaid,  and  has  in  some 
previous  century  been  replaced  by  a  plaster  replica.  A 
touch  of  realism  has  been  introduced  into  one  of  the 
kneeling  female  figures,  Lady  or  Miss  Blount,  the  end  of 
her  cap  string  being  shown  blov/n  over  the  top  of  her 
head.    One  of  the  ladies  also  carries  a  skull. 

There  are  one  or  two  other  monuments,  which  have 
curious  features.  Thus  at  the  foot  of  the  tablet  to  a  gallant 
soldier.  Colonel  John  Gurwood,  who  was  "  repeatedly 
wounded  in  the  glorious  fields  of  the  Peninsula,  France 
and  Waterloo,"  is  placed  a  marble  replica  of  two  volumes 
of  the  Wellington  despatches,  which  he  had  helped  to 
compile.  In  connection  with  this  officer  a  very  curious 
incident  occurred  long  after  he  was  in  his  grave.  It 
was  in  June,  1889,  that  a  spiritualistic  seance  was  in 
progress  when  a  Mrs.  R.  taking  the  planchette  wrote 
these  words  :  "  John  Gurwood  "  "  I  killed  myself 
forty-four  years  ago  next  Xmas."  Asked  if  he  was  in 
the  army,  the  reply  came,  "  Yes  but  it  was  the  pen, 
not  the  sword  that  did  for  me."  Asked  where  he  was 
wounded,  the  reply  was  "  In  the  Peninsula  in  the  head 
I  was  wounded  in  1810."  He  also  drew  a  rough  outline 
of  his  crest  which  represented  a  mural  coronet,  with  a 
castle  in  the  centre,  out  of  which  stretched  an  arm 
holding  a  scimitar.  This  grant  of  arms  it  was  ascer- 
tained had  been  made  him  by  the  King  for  bravery  in 
the  field.  Mrs.  R.  had  never  heard  of  Colonel  Gurwood, 
nor  knew  anything  about  him,  nor  had  any  knowledge  of 
his  crest,  or  coat  of  arms.  Moreover,  the  writing  was 
upside  down  to  Mrs.  R.,  her  hand  apparently  being 
guided  by  some  unseen  person  from  the  opposite  side  of 
the  table. 1  On  reference  to  the  Annual  Register  for 
1845  it  will  be  found  recorded  that  Colonel  John 
Gurwood,  Deputy-Governor  of  the  Tower  of  London, 
was  severely  wounded  in  the  head  leading  a  forlorn  hope 

^  On  the  Threshold  of  the  Unseen,  by  Sir  William  Barrett,  f.r.<:.,  p.  217. 


248  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

at  the  storming  of  Cuidad  Rodrigo,  and  this  affected 
him  during  the  rest  of  his  hfe.  His  work  editing  the 
Welhngton  Despatches  seems  to  have  further  troubled 
his  brain,  for  he  committed  suicide  on  Xmas  Day,  1845. 
It  may  be  noted  that  no  mention  of  suicide  is  made  in 
the  chapel  records,  or,  perhaps  naturally,  on  the  monu- 
ment. 

The  executors  of  "  Captain  Valentine  Pyne  late 
Mr.  Gunner  of  England,"  who  died  in  1677,  and 
"  trayled  a  pike  in  the  expedition  at  Calais,"  struck  out  a 
new  line,  for  on  the  tablet  they  made  an  acrostic  of  the 
gallant  Captain's  name  : 

'  Vndaunted  hero  whose  aspiring  mind 
As  being  not  willing  here  to  be  confined 
Like  birds  in  cage,  in  narrow  trunk  of  clay 
Entertain'd  Death,  and  with  it  soar'd  away 
Now  he  is  gone,  why  should  I  not  relate. 
To  future  age,  his  valour,  fame,  and  fate  ? 
lust,  loyal,  prudent,  faithful ;   suca  was  he, 
Nature's  accomplish'd,  world's  epitome. 
Proud  he  was  not ;   and  tho'  by  riches  try'd, 
Yet  virtue  was  his  safe,  his  surest  guide. 
Nor  can  devouring  Time  his  rapid  jaws 
Ere  eat  away  those  actions  he  made  laws." 

Possibly  a  less  enthusiastic  poet  might  have  fared 
better. 

Another  tablet  with  much  wealth  of  wording  records 
the  manifold  virtues  of  that  same  Hannah  Beresford  who 
was  found  buried  beneath  Queen  Anne  Boleyn,  though 
she  died  some  centuries  later.  Beyond  being  the  wife  of 
Richard  Beresford,  Esq.,  possibly  a  city  merchant, 
Hannah  Beresford  appears  to  have  no  claims  to  dis- 
tinction. 

Amongst  the  brass  tablets  on  the  south  wall  which 
record  the  names  of  some  of  the  more  recent  Constables 
of  the  Tower,  and  Keepers  of  the  Regalia,  is  an  old 
stone  let  into  the  wall,  on  which  is  inscribed  : 

"  Here  lieth  y^  body  of  Talbot  Edwards  gent°  late 
Keeper  of  his  Ma^^  Regalia  who  dyed  y^  30  of  September 
1674.    Aged  80  yeares  and  9  moneths." 


THE  CHAPELS   IN  THE  TOWER        249 

This  is  the  Talbot  Edwards  who  was  Keeper  of  the 
Regaha  when  Colonel  Blood  made  his  attempt  to  steal 
the  Crown  in  1673. 

It  is  only  within  tne  last  century  that  the  names  of 
Constables  of  the  Tower  have  been  recorded  on  the 
walls  of  the  chapel.  In  addition  to  the  memorial  stone 
to  Field-Marshal  Sir  John  Fox  Burgoyne,  who  died  in 
1 871,  may  be  seen  brass  tablets  on  the  walls  com- 
memorating Field-Marshal  Sir  George  Pollock,  died 
1872  ;  Field-Marshal  Sir  Wilham  Gomm,  died  1875  ; 
Field-Marshal  Sir  Charles  Yorke,  died  1881  ;  General 
Sir  Richard  Dacres,  died  1887;  Field-Marshal  Lord 
Napier  of  Magdala,  died  1890  ;  General  Sir  Daniel 
Lysons,  died  1898  ;  and  General  Sir  Frederick  Stephen- 
son, died  1 91 1. 

The  Communion  Plate  used  at  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula 
is  some  three  hundred  years  old,  and  probably  replaced 
older  sets  which  were  stolen  or  destroyed  in  earlier  and 
more  turbulent  centuriesj  How  this  escaped  Cromwellian 
days  is  still  a  mystery.  The  plate  is  of  silver  gilt  and 
consists  of  a  chalice  and  a  small  patin  dated  1629; 
another  chalice  and  small  patin  dated  1637  and  1638 
respectively  ;  and  one  large  patin  dated  1682.  All  are 
inscribed  with  the  Royal  monogram  C.R.,  surmounted 
by  a  Royal  crown.  Tliere  are  probably  not  in  the  wide 
world  vessels  used  in  the  house  of  God  which  have  seen 
such  awful  tragedies.  Out  of  these  very  cups,  and  off 
these  very  patins,  in  the  cold  dawn  of  the  day  that  was 
to  be  their  last  on  earth,  took  the  Sacrament  men  and 
women  whose  names  are  now  household  words  in  English 
history. 

The  Register  of  Births,  Marriages,  and  Deaths  in  this 
chapel  is  of  great  interest.  Entries  date  back,  the  burials 
to  1550,  the  marriages  to  1586,  and  the  deaths  to  1587. 
Unfortunately  in  old  days  the  registers  were  not  very 
regularly  kept,  thus  many  names  of  persons  known  to 
have  been  buried  here  are  omitted.  Curiously  enough 
the  death  register  alone  contains  any  names  of  historic 
interest ;    and  though  we  know  amongst  others  of  the 


250  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

birtli  of  two  children  to  Lady  Katherine  Grey,i  and  of 
the  marriage  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh^  in  the  Tower,  these 
do  not  appear.  Many  interments  also  took  place  outside 
the  chapel  on  the  border  of  Tower  Green,  amongst  these 
were  the  four  gentlemen,  Noreys,  Brereton,  Weston,  and 
Smeaton,  who  were  executed  in  connection  with  the 
tragedy  of  Queen  Anne  Boleyn.  Only  recently  a  cart 
passing  over  this  part  fell  into  a  hollow  grave  in  which 
was  a  complete  skeleton.  Two  of  the  oldest  entries  in 
the  register  are  : 

A.D.  1551 

Sir  Raff.  A.  Vane  in  the  chappell 

Sir  Tliomas  Arundell  in  the  chappell 

"  The  xxvj^'i  day  of  Februarie,  the  wyche  was  the 
morow  after  saynt  Mathuwe  day,  was  heddyd  (beheaded) 
on  the  Towre  hyll.  Sir  Thomas  Arundell,  and  incon- 
tinent was  hangyd  the  seylffsame  tyme  Sir  Raff  A  Vane, 
Knyght,  after,  ther  bodys  wher  put  into  dyvers  nuw 
coffens  to  be  bered,  and  heds,  into  the  Towre  in  cases, 
and  ther  bered. "^ 

Between  a.d.  1565  and  1578 
"  Mr.  Arthur  Poole's  Brother^  buried  in  the  chapel." 
"  Arthur  Poole,  buried  in  the  chapel." 
These  are  the  de  la  Poles,  or  Poles,  of  the  house  of 
Clarence,  who  have  left  many  inscriptions  in  the  Beau- 
champ  Tower.     They  were  nephews  of  Cardinal  de  la 
Pole,  or  Pole,  and  grandsons  of  Margaret  of  Clarence, 
Countess  of  SaHsbury.    They  were  tried  for  high  treason 
against  Queen  Elizabeth  and  sentenced  to  death  ;    but 
this  penalty  was  commuted  to  imprisonment  for  life  in 
the  Tower,  where  they  died. 

A.D.  1587 
"  Nathaniel  Partridge  buried  y«  xiii*'i  of  February." 
This    was    the    Gentleman    Gaoler    at    whose    house 
Lady  Jane  Grey  lodged  before  her  execution. 

1  See  p.  82.  2  See  p,  34. 

'  Machyn's  Diary.  *  Edmonde. 


THE  CHAPELS   IN  THE  TOWER         251 

"  Mr.  William  Foxley  buried  4  May.  He  slept  four- 
teen daics  and  fifteen  nights,  and  lived  after  forty-one 
years.    Potmakcr  in  the  Mint." 

An  account  of  this  extraordinary  case  is  given  by  Stow. 

"  In  the  year  1546,  the  27th  of  April,  being  Tuesday 
in  Easter  week,  William  Foxley,  potmaker  for  the  Mint 
in  the  Tower  of  London,  fell  asleep,  and  so  continued 
sleeping,  and  could  not  be  wakened  with  pricking, 
cramping,  or  otherwise  burning  whatsoever,  till  the  first 
day  of  term,  which  was  14  days  and  15  nights.  The 
cause  of  this  sleeping  could  not  be  known,  though 
the  same  was  dehgently  searched  after  by  the  King's 
physicians  and  other  learned  men:  yea  the  King  him- 
self examined  the  said  Wilham  Foxley,  who  was  in  all 
points  found  at  his  wakening  to  be  as  if  he  had  slept  but 
one  night  ;  and  he  hvcd  more  than  40  years  after  in  the 
said  Tower,  to  wit,  until  the  year  of  Christ  1587,  and 
then  deceased  on  Wednesday  in  Easter  week." 

A.D.  1592 

"  Sir  John  P'ratt  condempned  of  high  treason  : 
buried  v"^  Oct.  in  the  chappell." 

This  was  Sir  John  Perrott  whose  hasty  tongue  and 
high  temper  brought  him  very  nigh  the  scaffold.  In  his 
impeachment  he  was  accused  amongst  other  crimes  of 
"  having  injured  the  Queene's  Majestic  with  disgraceful 
speeches,  so  as  to  have  said,  that  she  was  a  base  bastardly 
woman,  fearefull  and  too  curious  :  and  she  cared  not 
for  souldiers."  Sir  John  Perrott  was  reputed,  and  it  is 
beheved  claimed,  to  be  a  natural  son  of  Henry  VIII  ;^ 
in  which  behef  Queen  Elizabeth  may  possibly  have  con- 
curred, for  instead  of  resenting  these  utterances,  as  well 
she  might  have,  it  is  recorded  that  when  the  jury  found 
Sir  John  "  Guilty,"  she  was  greatly  displeased,  and  on 
hearing  of  it  swore  "  by  her  wonted  oath  "  that  the  jury 
were  all  knaves. ^  The  Queen  refused  to  sign  the  order 
for  Sir  John  Perrott's  execution,  and  he  died  a  prisoner 
in  the  Tower. 

1  Naunton.  ^  Doyne  Bell. 


252  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

A.D.  1595 

"  Lord  Arundall  buried  y«  xxi  of  Oct :  in  the  chappell." 
Philip  Howard,  Earl  of  Arundel,  only  son  of  the  4th 
Duke  of  Norfolk.  The  title  of  Duke  of  Norfolk  had  been 
forfeited  by  the  execution  of  his  father  for  treason  ;  the 
title  of  Arundel  he  took  from  his  mother's  side.  He  was 
a  prisoner  for  conscience  sake,  being  a  strong  Roman 
Catholic,  and  refusing  all  pressure  from  Queen  Elizabeth 
to  recant.  After  considerable  delay  a  charge  of  high 
treason  was  formulated  against  him.  In  the  preliminary 
examination  "  one  of  the  examiners  said  the  Pope  was 
an  arrant  knave,  another  called  him  a  vile  Italian  priest." 
The  charges  amongst  others  at  his  trial  were  :  con- 
spiring with  Cardinal  Allen  to  restore  the  Catholic  faith 
in  England  ;  suggesting  that  the  Queen  was  unfit  to 
govern  ;  and  the  ordering  of  masses  to  be  said  for  the 
success  of  the  Spanish  Armada.  The  charge  of  treason 
fell  through,  but  he  was  convicted  of  conspiring  to  de- 
throne the  Queen,  and  sentenced  to  death.  The  Queen, 
however,  commuted  the  death  penalty,  and  the  Earl  of 
Arundel  after  ten  year's  imprisonment  died  in  the 
Tower. 

He  was  buried  in  the  chancel  of  the  Chapel  of  St. 
Peter  ad  Vincula  "  in  the  very  selfsame  grave  where  the 
Duke,  his  father,  was,"i  being  shrouded  in  a  poor  sheet 
and  put  into  a  plain  coffin,  covered  with  a  mean  black 
cloth. 2  In  the  reign  of  James  I,  nearly  thirty  years  later, 
permission  was  obtained  to  remove  the  remains  to  the 
family  vault  of  the  Howards  at  Arundel.  These  remains 
were  placed  in  a  small  iron  coffin  2  ft.  6  in.  in  length  and 
12  inches  in  breadth,  and  were  seen  in  1777  with  a  Latin 
inscription  on  the  coffin  plate. ^ 

A.D.  1600 
"  Robert  Devereux,  Earle  of  Essex,  was  beheaded  in 
the  Tower,  and  was  buried  in  the  chappell  the  xv^'^  of 
February." 

1  See  p.  241.         *  MS.  Life,  pp.  116-119.         ^  Tierney,  Bayley. 


THE  CHAPELS  IN  THE  TOWER        253 

This  nobleman,^  at  one  time  favourite  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  had  through  her  grace  the  distinction  of 
being  the  only  man  who  has  been  executed  on  Tower 
Green.  The  other  five  who  had  been  here  executed  were 
women ;  the  three  Queens,  the  Countess  of  Sahsbury, 
and  Viscountess  Rochford. 

A.D.    1613 

"  Sir  Thomas  Overbury  prisoner,  poysoned  ;  buried 
the  XV  of  Sept." 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  word  "  poysoned  "  is 
deliberately  used  in  the  register,  and  there  seems  little 
doubt  that  such  was  the  case.  Yet  it  was  a  bold  entry 
to  make,  considering  the  powerful  influences  it  would 
certainly  offend. ^ 

A.D.    1614 

"  Lord  Gray,  a  prisoner  ;  buried  xvi*^  J^^y-" 
This  was  Lord  Grey  de  Wilton  who  was  sentenced  to 
death  for  treason  in  connection  with  the  Arabella  Stuart 
plot.  He  was  led  out  to  be  executed,  and  was  actually 
on  the  scaffold  when  reprieved.  After  eleven  years  im- 
prisonment he  died  in  St.  Thomas  Tower  "  in  the 
chamber  over  the  Gate."^ 

A.D.  1630 
"  Sir  AUyn  Apsley,  Knight,  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower 
of  London,  was  buried  in  the  chappell  of  the  Tower 
aforesaid  upon  Monday,  being  the  2^^^^  day  of  May." 

A.D.    1674 

"  Mr.   Edwards  y^   Crown   Keeper,   buryed   October 

ye  2°^." 

This  was  Talbot  Edwards,  Keeper  of  the  Regalia 
when  Colonel  Blood  made  his  attempt  to  steal  it.  He 
was  buried  in  the  churchyard  outside  where  his  stone 
was  found,  moved  into  the  chapel  and  let  into  the  south 
wall  as  before  mentioned. 

^  See  p.  190.  *  See  p.  19.  ^  See  p.  205. 


254  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

A.D.    1680 

"  William  Lord  Viscount  Stafford,  beheaded  ;  buried 
29  Dec." 

William  Howard,  Viscount  Stafford,  was  tried  for 
being  concerned  in  the  Popish  Plots  against  King 
Charles  II,  and  was  sentenced  to  death.  He  was  executed 
on  Tower  Hill  protesting  his  innocence,  which  afterwards 
was  proved  by  the  confession  of  Titus  Oates. 

A.D.  1683 

"  Arthur,  Earl  of  Essex,  cutt  his  own  throat  within 
the  Tower  :   July  13"^" 

There  is  grave  doubt  whether  the  Earl  committed 
suicide  or  was  murdered.^ 

A.D.  1685 

"  James,  Duke  of  Monmouth,  beheaded  on  Tower 
Hill  ye  i^th^  and  buryed  y^  16^^  July." 

The  son  of  Charles  II  and  Lucy  Walters  :  executed 
for  his  leadership  in  the  Monmouth  rebellion  against 
James  II.- 

A.D.  1689 

"  George,  Lord  Jefteries,  buried  20  April  "  (added  in 
another  handwriting)  "  and  removed  2  Nov:  93." 

This  is  the  well  known  and  much  execrated  Judge 
Jefferies.  He  is  said  to  have  died  of  drink  in  the  Tower  ; 
and  it  is  also  related  that  the  removal  of  his  remains  was 
due  to  popular  resentment  at  his  being  buried  in  such 
sacred  and  hallowed  surroundings. 

A.D.  1703 
"  John  Rotier  17  June,  in  the  chappell." 
John  Rotier  was  Mineralist  at  the  Mint,  then  situated 
within  the  Tower.  It  was  he  who  designed  the  figure  of 
Britannia  to  be  seen  on  the  back  of  the  English  penny  to 
this  day.  His  model  is  said  to  have  been  "  la  belle 
Stuart,^''  Frances  Stuart,  Duchess  of  Richmond,  a  lady 
greatly  admired  by  Charles  II. 

'  See  p,  214.  2  See  p.  186. 


THE  CHAPELS   IN  THE  TOWER        255 

A.D.    I7IO 

"Edwin  Griffin,  Lord  Griffin,  prisoner  buried  1$^^ 
Nov." 

Lord  Edward  (not  Edwin)  Griffin  was  several  times 
committed  to  the  Tower,  for  espousing  the  Stuart 
cause,  and  was  finally  sentenced  to  death.  He  was  re- 
prieved by  Queen  Anne,  partly  on  account  of  old  age 
and  infirmity,  and  died  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower. 

A.u.  1719 

"Talbot  Edwards,  Keeper  of  y*^  Jewell  Office, 
April  30th." 

Son  of  Talbot  Edwards  mentioned  above  who  died 
1674,  and  whom  he  succeeded  as  Keeper  of  the  Regalia. 

A.D.    1746 

"  WiUiam  Murray  Esq.  aUas  Marquis  of  TuUibardine, 
prisoner  in  y^  Tower  ;  on  11"^  July-" 

One  of  the  leaders  in  the  Scottish  rebelUon  of  1746. 
He  was  captured  after  the  battle  of  CuUoden,  in  which 
he  held  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-General,  and  was  com- 
mitted very  ill  to  the  Tower.  He  died  tw^enty-two  days 
later. 

A.D.  1746 

"  Wilham,  Earl  of  Kilmarnock,  and  Arthur,  Lord 
Balmerino,  beheaded  on  Tower  Hill  :    on  18"^  August." 

Both  these  noblemen  were  concerned  in  the  Scottish 
rebellion  of  1746. 

A.D.  1747 

Simon,  Lord  Lovat,  beheaded  on  Tower  Hill ;  on 
1 7^'^  April. 

Lord  Lovat  was  concerned  in  the  same  rebeUion,  but 
for  a  time  escaped  Ijito  hiding,  and  was  therefore  tried 
and  executed  later. 

This  nobleman  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  last  to 
be  executed  on  Tower  Hill,  and  with  him  closes  that 
long  and  bloody  chapter  in  English  history. 


256  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

A.D.    1758 

"  John  Tudor,  an  ancient  Briton,  who  had  been  a 
warder  in  the  Tower  upwards  of  sixty  years,  aged  107 
years  ;   was  buried  September  21^'." 

It  is  recorded  that  Henry  III  presented  a  "  set  of  bells 
to  St.  Peter's  on  Tower  Green,"  but  the  solitary  bell  now 
in  use  is  engraved  "John  Hodgson  made  me  1659  I.  ^•"'^ 

There  is  a  very  curious  little  chamber  adjoining  the 
Chaplain's  quarters  and  facing  cast  known  as  the  Hermit's 
cell.  According  to  a  very  ancient  tradition  some  holy 
hermit  here  resided,  but  no  authentic  record  exists. 

A  tragedy  of  quite  a  different  character,  but  some- 
what intimately  connected  with  St.  Peter's  was  enacted 
in  the  Tower  in  1743,  when  the  Highland  deserters  were 
shot.  It  appears  that  "  Lord  Sempil's  Regiment,"  after- 
wards known  as  the  Black  Watch,  was  ordered  to  march 
south  to  London,  and  somehow  the  notion  got  abroad 
amongst  the  men  that  they  were  to  be  transported  to  the 
West  Indies,  then  considered  a  penal  settlement.  The 
regiment  was  reviewed  by  General  Wade  on  April  30th, 
and  "  the  Londoners  flocked  out  to  see  the  strange 
soldiers."  At  i  a.m.  on  May  i8th,  109  men  deserted, 
under  the  leadership  of  Corporal  Samuel  McPherson,  and 
started  to  march  back  to  Scotland.  They  were  followed 
by  the  King's  troops,  and  brought  to  parley  in  the  Lady 
Wood,  near  Brigstock,  in  Northamptonshire,  where  they 
had  entrenched  themselves.  As  a  result  of  the  parley 
they  unconditionally  surrendered  without  fighting,  and 
were  marched  back  to  London,  and  imprisoned  in  the 
Tower.  The  three  ringleaders  were  tried  by  court- 
martial,  and  "  the  two  Corporals  McPhersons  and 
Forquahcr  Shavv'  (the  piper)  were  ordered  to  be  Shott 
within  the  Tovvcr,  by  the  soldiers  of  the  3^^  Regim^  of 
Guards  then  on  duty." 

The  battalion  of  the  Guards  was  drawn  up  at  6  a.m., 
with  the  rest  of  the  Highland  deserters  in  front  of  them, 

1  This  date  should  possibly  read  1639  ;  for  the  entry  in  the  Tower 
Warder's  Order  Book,  giving  this  information,  is  dated  1651. 


THE  CHAPELS   IN  THE  TOWER        257 

that  they  might  see  the  execution.  The  three  con- 
demned men  were  stood  up  against  the  south  wall  of 
St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula  at  the  eastern  end,  and  told  to 
kneel  and  pull  down  their  caps  over  their  eyes.  No 
audible  words  of  command  were  given,  but  on  a  signal 
a  firing  party  of  eighteen  N.C.O.'s  and  men  of  the 
Guards  issued  from  behind  the  corner  of  St.  Peter's, 
and  lined  up  opposite  the  doomed  soldiers,  four  being 
told  off  to  shoot  at  each.  The  officer  in  command, 
without  speaking,  with  his  handkerchief  gave  the  signals 
"  make  ready — Present — Fire,  which  they  did  all  at  once 
and  all  three  men  fell  at  the  same  moment  dead."^ 
They  were  immediately  placed  in  coffins  and  buried  in 
one  grave  outside  the  chapel  near  the  south-west  end. 
The  site  is  marked  by  a  plain  grey  stone  with  no  inscrip- 
tion on  it. 

It  is  frequently  remarked  that  there  exist  only  a  few 
tablets,  or  memorials,  to  the  many  celebrated  people 
who  have  been  buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula.  And  it 
has  been  pointed  out  that  possibly  descendants  who  bear 
these  illustrious  names,  and  titles  at  this  day,  might  if 
the  suggestion  were  made,  join  in  placing  memorials  in 
the  chapel  to  their  ancestors.  The  armorial  bearings  of 
their  families  placed  in  the  present  plain  glass  windows 
of  the  chapel,  or  a  like  simple  record  finds  favour  with 
some,  and  doubtless  others  will  agree,  or  have  other 
views.  The  Percys,  the  Howards,  the  Seymours,  and  the 
Scotts  at  once  occur  to  memory  as  four  great  families, 
whose  ancestors'  lives  and  deaths  were  very  closely  con- 
nected in  the  mighty  past  with  the  history  of  the  Tower, 
and  the  Chapel  of  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula. 

Many  old  and  picturesque  customs  have  died  away 
which  might  well  be  revived.  For  instance  vv^e  read 
that  on  the  Lord's  Day,  February  28th,  1664,  Sir  John 
Robinson,  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower,  after  dinner, 
proceeded  as  was  customary  to  the  service  at  the  Chapel  o.f 
St.  Peter  ad  Vincula  "  with  the  keys  carried  before  him, 
and  the  warders  and  gentlemen-porters  going  before. "^ 

1  General  Williamson's  Diary,  p.  114.         *  Pepys's  Diary, 


258  THE  TOWER  EROM  WTTEIIN 

This  has  apparently  graduated  down  to  the  procession 
taking  place  only  three  times  a  year,  on  Christmas  Day, 
Easter  Sunday,  and  Whit  Sunday,  and  only  a  few 
Warders  attend  these.  If  the  ancient  weekly  custom 
were  revived  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula  would  be  the  most 
popular  church  in  London ;  and  rich  congregations 
would  gradually  produce  the  money  required  for  such 
embellishments  and  memorials  as  cannot  well  be  de- 
manded from  the  State,  even  for  a  venerable  royal 
chapel. 

In  the  Wakefield  Tower,  facing  south-east,  is  the  little 
royal  chapel  used  by  kings  when  this  was  one  of  the 
entrances  to  the  royal  palace.  It  was  here  that  Henry  VI 
spent  much  of  his  time  in  prayer,  and  here  he  met  his 
end,  stabbed  to  death,  it  is  said,  by  Richard  of  Gloucester. 
To  be  seen  still  are  the  '  ombra  '  and  '  piscina  '  and 
*  sedela  '  used  by  the  devout  of  those  days  ;  but  the 
little  chapel  has  lost  its  ecclesiastical  appearance  owing 
to  the  small  windows  which  were  behind  the  altar  having 
been  greatly  enlarged,  in  the  Northumbrian  Gothic 
style,  to  give  more  light  to  the  interior  of  this  Tower. 
The  chapel  has  therefore  now  more  the  appearance  of 
a  deep  bay  window  recess  and  might  be  passed  by  un- 
recognized if  attention  was  not  drawn  to  it. 

In  St.  Thomas'  Tower  is  a  small  chapel  or  oratory, 
dedicated  by  Henry  III  to  Thomas  a  Becket.  It  is 
situated  in  the  upper  floor  of  the  south-east  turret,  a 
small  circular  chamber  with  a  groined  roof  and  with 
several  little  windows  looking  out  both  on  the  moat  and 
on  the  river.  The  '  ombra  '  and  '  piscina  '  as  originally 
constructed  may  still  be  seen.  As  related  elsewhere,  this 
little  chapel  was  built  as  a  peace  offering  to  the  soul  of 
the  murdered  saint  and  Archbishop. 

It  may  safely  be  said  that  no  four  chapels,  within  one 
fortress  in  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  world,  combine 
such  a  wealth  of  structural  and  personal  interest  as  do 
the  four  chapels  in  the  Towner, 


XVII 

ANCIENT   ARMS   AND   ARMOUR   IN   THE 
TOWER 

Armoury  in  the  White  Tower — How  arranged — Horse  armour 
and  foot  armour — Royal  armour — Henry  VHI — Charles  I — 
The  Earl  of  Leicester  and  other  nobles  and  knights — Boy 
Prince's  armour — A  baby  suit — James  H — Japanese  armour — 
Helmets — Mask  helmet  of  Henry  VHI — A  shrapnel  helmet — 
Steel  skull  caps — Shields — Pistol  shields — Lantern  shields — 
Spurs — With  inscription — Henry  VHI's  walking-staff — Horse- 
man's hammer — Battle-axes — Swords — Daggers — Bayonets — 
Bows  and  cross-bows — Guns  and  rifles— Henry  VHI's  breech- 
loading  gun — Charles  I's  "  birding  piece" — Flintlocks — Pistols 
and  revolvers. 

TO  deal  exhaustively  with  the  Armour,  Arms, 
and  Ordnance  deposited  at  the  Tower  of 
London  would  be  beyond  the  scope  of  this 
book,  but  those  who  are  interested  in  the 
subject  cannot  do  better  than  study  Mr.  ffoulkes'  fine 
work.^  For  the  present  purpose  it  will  perhaps  be 
deemed  sufficient  if  attention  is  drawn  to  what  may 
perhaps  be  considered  some  of  the  more  interesting 
portions. 

After  several  migrations  the  Armoury  is  now  estab- 
lished in  the  White  Tower,  very  well  displayed,  each 
article  marked  with  a  number  corresponding  to  those 
used  in  Mr.  fi'oulkes'  book.^  In  tlie  basement  is  the 
heavy  ordnance  and  other  articles  of  interest.  On  the 
ground  floor,  or  gun  floor,  may  be  seen  the  small 
ordnance,  fire-arms,  and  pieces  of  seventeenth-century 
armour,  used  mainly  for  decorative  effect.    On  this  floor 

*  The  Armouries  of  the  Tozver  of  London,  by  Charles  J.  ffoulkes,  Curator 
of  the  Armouries,  2  vols. 

*  An  abridged  work  at  a  popular  price  is  in  course  of  being  prepared. 

259 


26o  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

too  are  to  be  found  engravings,  photographs,  models, 
and  topographical  records  of  the  Armouries  and  of  the 
Tower.  The  next  floor  above,  known  as  the  first  floor, 
or  the  Banqueting  Hall,  is  arranged  to  show  swords,  staff 
weapons,  and  armours  of  the  seventeenth  century 
Whilst  the  second  floor,  known  as  the  Council  Chamber, 
contains  the  horse  armour,  and  all  the  most  historic  pieces 
of  kingly,  and  knightly  armour.  The  present  orderly  and 
suitable  arrangement  has  been  evolved  out  of  somewhat 
chaotic  conditions  by  the  later  Curators,  amongst  whom 
the  most  successful  has  been  Viscount  Dillon,  worthily 
followed  by  his  then  assistant,  the  present  able  Curator. 

Uiitil  quite  recent  years  were  exhibited  an  imposing 
row  of  kings,  and  one  queen,  mounted,  and  in  armour  ; 
ranging  from  William  the  Conqueror  to  James  II,  or  later. 
But  on  examination  it  was  found  that  this  majestic 
galaxy  was  of  no  historic  value,  being  merely  a  line  of 
lay  figures,  wearing  suits  of  armour,  belonging  it  was 
discovered  to  quite  other  people  and  sometimes  not  even 
of  a  set.  Queen  Elizabeth  for  instance  during  some 
centuries  glanced  stonily  at  passers-by  clad  in  armour 
which  not  only  was  not  Her  Majesty's,  but  that  of 
a  mere  man,  and  worn  upside  down.  William  the  Con- 
queror sat,  we  may  be  sure  heartily  ashamed  of  himself, 
in  a  suit  of  armour  belonging  to  quite  another  knight, 
who  was  born  perhaps  a  century  or  two  after  the  Con- 
queror was  in  his  grave.  Charles  I,  another  figure  in 
the  illustrious  row,  is  known  never  to  have  worn  armour, 
though  several  handsome  suits  were  presented  to  him 
by  foreign  princes.  The  row  of  kings,  therefore, 
which  could  no  longer  stand  the  critical  accuracy  of  a 
better  instructed  age,  disappeared,  and  their  armour  was 
re-sorted,  and  assigned  to  the  rightful  owners. 

The  oldest  royal  armour  to  be  seen  at  the  Tower  is 
that  of  Henry  VIII,  both  when  he  was  a  young  and 
active  man,  and  also  when  he  was  of  the  more  generous 
proportions  now  generally  attributed  to  him.  His  finest 
suit  was  one  presented  by  the  Emperor  Maximilian  I, 
and  made  by  Conrad  Seusenhofer  (i  509-1 547).    Both  in 


ANCIENT  ARMS  AND  ARMOUR         261 

construction  and  weight  this  armour  is  suitable  for  use 
in  actual  warfare,  but  it  is  so  richly  decorated  that  it  was 
probably  intended  more  for  display  than  use.  Mr. 
ffoulkes  considers  it  the  finest  suit  of  armour  in  existence. 

Another  mounted  figure  of  Henry  VIII  in  armour, 
shows  him  more  as  we  are  accustomed  to  figure  him,  an 
immense  man,  on  a  very  powerful  horse.  His  armour  is 
bright,  the  borders  of  scroll-work  engraved  and  gilt.  In 
one  of  the  inventories  of  the  period  it  is  valued  at  j/^200. 
The  very  powerful  bit  may  be  noticed,  perhaps  necessary 
for  the  thick-necked,  short-reined  stallions,  of  that  age. 
It  will  be  observed  that  the  King  does  not  wear  spurs. 
In  his  hand  is  a  mace  or  bludgeon,  such  as  is  not  un- 
known in  the  Great  War  of  the  present  century. 

A  fine  suit  of  armour  is  that  of  Robert  Dudley,  Earl 
of  Leicester  (i 552-1 588),  second  surviving  son  of  the 
celebrated  John  Dudley,  Duke  of  Northumberland. 1 
It  was  made  by  Jacobe,  and  is  now  bright  steel.  It  is 
ornamented  with  the  Ragged  Staff,  the  crest  of  the 
Beauchamps,  the  muzzled  Bear,  and  has  displayed  the 
collars  of  the  Orders  of  the  Garter,  and  St.  Michael. 
The  initials  "  R.D."  are  engraved  on  the  breast,  back, 
and  cuisses.  A  picture  in  the  collection  of  the  Duke  of 
Sutherland  represents  the  Earl  of  Leicester  wearing 
parts  of  this  armour.  He  must  have  had  a  very  small 
foot,  not  more  than  9  inches  in  length,  judging  by  the 
armour.  In  the  inventory  this  is  described  as  "  Tylte 
Armr  "  (tilting  armour),  and  the  valuation  is  given  at 
_^'2o8.  It  was  probably,  hovv^ever,  used  even  more  for 
show  than  tilting. 

Another  suit  of  armour  by  Jacobe  was  that  supplied 
to  the  second  Lord  North  (15 30-1 600),  the  decoration 
of  which  consists  of  broad  recessed  bands  gilded.  It  may 
be  noted  that  this  suit  weighs  only  49  lbs.,  whilst  that  of 
the  Earl  of  Leicester  weighs  79  lbs.  8  oz. 

Tlie  suit  of  armour  belonging  to  Wilham  Somerset, 
third  Earl  of  Worcester  (i 526-1 589),  and  a  Knight  of 
the  Garter,  is  also  of  considerable  interest.     It  was  made 

^  See  p.  151. 


262  THE  TOWER   FROM  WITHIN 

hy  Jacobe,  and  is  decorated  with  plain  gilt  borders,  and 
gilt  crescent-shaped  indentations  on  each  piece.  The 
gauntlets  are  lingered,  and  the  feet  are  covered  with 
mail  with  toe-caps  of  plate.  This  suit  weighs  io6  lbs. 
without  the  close  helmet.  In  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's 
collection  is  a  picture  of  this  Earl  of  Worcester,  wearing 
portions  of  this  suit. 

The  armour  of  Sir  John  Smythe  (15 39-1 607),  first 
cousin  to  Edward  VI,  also  finds  a  place  in  the  Tower. 
This  too  is  the  work  of  Jacobe,  and  was  at  one  time 
wrongly  described  as  belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Essex. 
One  authority  says  it  was  worn  as  part  of  the  pageantry 
at  the  coronation  of  George  II.  Much  of  the  confusion 
and  mixing  up  of  ancient  armour,  as  well  as  damage 
done  to  it,  has  resulted  in  former  centuries  from  thus 
loaning  it  out.  For  not  only  was  it  used  on  State  occa- 
sions, such  as  coronations  ;  but  it  became  almost  an 
established  custom  to  lend  it  to  the  Lord  Mayor  for  his 
yearly  procession  through  the  streets  of  London.  Indeed 
a  case  is  on  record  where  it  was  lent  for  a  play  at  Drury 
Lane  Theatre.  Sir  John  Smythe's  suit  is  elaborately 
decorated,  but  is  also  made  strong  enough  for  use  in 
battle.  It  was,  however,  more  probably  used  for  show 
occasions,  possibly  with  additional  pieces  for  jousts  and 
tourneys.  On  the  decorated  bands  are  figures  of 
Minerva,  Fortitude,  and  Mars,  with  the  motto  fvtvra 
PRAETERiTis.  It  wcighs  69  Ibs.  5  oz.  Sir  John  Smythe 
was  imprisoned  in  the  Tower  for  two  years,  1596-98,  by 
Queen  Elizabeth,  on  the  charge  of  high  treason. 

This  Knight  ordered  from  Jacobe  an  almost  exactly 
similar  suit  of  armour  as  a  present  to  James  I  ;  which 
suit  may  also  be  seen  at  the  Tower. 

Some  of  the  young  Princes'  armour  is  of  interest. 
Amongst  these  may  be  found  that  of  Henry  Prince  of 
Wales,  son  of  James  I,  presented  to  him  by  the  Prince  de 
Joinville  in  1608,  when  he  was  fourteen  years  old.  The 
delight  of  the  boy  is  expressed  in  his  letter  of  thanks, 
"  you  have  sent  me  a  present  of  two  things  which  I 
most  delight  in,  arms  and  horses."     This  is  a  beautiful 


ANCIENT  ARMS  AND  ARMOUR         263 

suit  and  much  decorated  with  what  appears  to  be  the 
victories  of  Hannibal,  and  incidents  from  the  Iliad  and 
Odyssey.  It  weighs  42  lbs.  13  oz.,  a  good  weight  for  a 
boy  to  carry. 

Another  boy  suit  of  armour  is  that  of  Charles  I  when 
Prince.  The  suit  was  intended  for  his  elder  brother 
Henry,  who,  however,  died  before  the  gift  was  made, 
and  it  was  therefore  given  to  Charles,  probably  in  161 3, 
when  he  was  twelve  years  old,  but  at  that  age  it  must 
have  been  much  too  large  for  him.  It  is  described  as 
parade  armour,  and  might  also  have  been  used  for  the 
mild  jousts  of  this  period.  "  As  an  example  of  the  craft 
of  the  metal-worker  it  is  undoubtedly  the  finest  specimen 
in  the  collection,  and  will  bear  comparison  with  the 
most  noble  armours  in  Europe."^  To  the  least  expert 
this  suit  will  be  recognizable  by  the  representations  of 
lion's  masks  to  be  seen  on  the  helmet,  shoulders,  elbows, 
and  wrists.  This  armour  was  worn,  possibly  by  the 
King's  champion,  at  the  coronation  of  George  I,  and 
that  monarch  is  himself  depicted  in  a  statue  with 
armour  thus  ornamented. 

Armour  seems  to  have  rained  on  Charles  I  in  his 
youth,  though  as  stated  above  he  seldom,  or  never 
wore  it.  A  third  fine  suit  belonging  to  this  unhappy 
monarch  rests  at  the  Tower.  It  is  for  either  mounted  or 
dismounted  use,  and  is  ascribed  by  Mr.  ifoulkes  to  the 
workshops  of  Petit.  It  is  not  so  ornate  as  the  other 
suits,  weighs  only  43  lbs.  14  oz.,  and  cannot  therefore 
have  been  intended  for  battle.  On  the  right-hand 
gauntlet  there  is  a  pin,  about  one  inch  in  length,  standing 
up  from  the  knuckles,  which  has  caused  some  speculation. 
Lord  Dillon  suggests  that  it  was  to  prevent  the  hand 
from  getting  jammed  into  the  vamplate  of  the  lance 
when  tilting.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  spurs  are 
riveted  on. 

Yet  another  suit  belonging  to  Charles  I  is  at  the 
Tower,  said  to  have  been  presented  to  His  Majesty 
either  by  the  City  of  London,  or  the  Armourers'  Com- 

^  The  Armouries  oj  the  Tozver,  by  Charles  J.  ffoulkes,  Vol.  I,  p.  1 31. 


264  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

pany.  Experts  in  armour  pronounce  this  a  very  un- 
gainly suit,  reflecting  little  credit  on  its  makers.  Possibly 
this  accounts  for  there  being  no  mention  of  the  gift  in 
the  records  of  either  of  the  reputed  donors.  It  is,  how- 
ever, in  the  inventory  of  1688  valued  at  £20%  ;  which 
seems  almost  a  stereotyped  figure,  and  has  probably 
little  to  do  with  the  original  cost  of  the  various  sets  of 
armour  valued  alike. 

Charles  II,  in  his  turn,  as  a  boy  of  twelve  years  old 
was  presented  vdth  a  suit  of  armour  ;  much  as  now  he 
would  receive  a  mechanical  model,  whether  steam-boat, 
motor-car,  or  aeroplane.  This  suit  is  embossed,  en- 
graved, and  silvered  ;  and  has  the  Prince  of  Wales' 
feathers,  trophies,  and  arabesques  embossed  on  it.  Its 
valuation  was  placed  as  low  as  2^2 5  in  1683. 

There  are  also  two  incomiplete  sets  of  boy's  armour, 
made  in  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century  ;  and 
a  very  curious  diminutive  suit  about  which  there  has 
been  much  discussion.  This  stands  only  2  ft.  10  in.  in 
height,  and  would  fit  only  a  baby.  For  eighty  years 
from  1740  it  was  supposed  to  be  the  armour  of  "  Richard, 
Duke  of  York."  Opinion  then  changed,  and  it  was 
assigned  to  "  Charles,  Prince  of  Wales."  Others  were  of 
opinion  that  it  was  made  for  a  dwarf,  but  probably 
Mr.  iToulkes  is  right  in  suggesting  that  it  was  a  model 
made  by  a  workman  in  the  Armouries ;  much  as  we  see 
models  of  ships  in  the  oflices  of  Ocean  Liners. 

The  next  king  whose  armour  is  preserved  at  the 
Tower  is  that  of  James  II  (1685-1701),  which  has  a  very 
curious  open  helmet.  This  helmet  is  not  unlike  some 
modern  helmets,  with  a  straight  peak  over  the  eyes  and 
an  extension  at  the  back  to  cover  the  neck  ;  but  over 
the  face  is  a  sort  of  framework,  or  mask  as  it  is  called,  in 
which  is  fretworked  out  the  arms  of  England,  the  Hon 
and  the  unicorn,  all  complete.  Pendant  from  the  brim 
above  arc  the  letters  "  J  "  and  "  R,"  one  on  each  side. 
Naturally  this  head-piece  could  only  have  been  decora- 
tive, for  sword  or  lance  point  could  easily  pass  above  and 
below,  or  on  either  side  of  the  lion  or  the  unicorn.    The 


ANCIENT  ARMS  AND  ARMOUR         265 

breastplate  and  backplatc,  as  well  as  the  helmet,  arc 
engraved  and  gilt,  whilst  the  former  are  marked  with  a 
crown  and  "  J.  R.  2." 

Though  most  of  the  armour  exhibited  and  stored  in  the 
Tower  betokens  men  of  a  smaller  average  stature  than  that 
of  Enghshmen  of  the  present  day,  there  were  also  giants 
of  old.  The  armour  of  one  of  these  may  be  seen  in  the 
Council  Chamber.  He  stands  6  feet  10  inches  in  height, 
and  his  armour  weighs  66  lbs.,  and  he  lived  many 
centuries  ago.  The  question,  however,  of  the  weight  of 
armour  requires  to  be  got  into  perspective.  The  popular 
impression  is  that  the  fighting  men  in  the  days  of  ^rmour 
carried  prodigious  weights,  and  must  have  been  of 
Herculean  strength.  Yet  if  we  consider  that  this  giant, 
fully  equipped,  only  carried  about  66  lbs.,  whereas  every 
British  soldier  in  battle  in  this  year  of  grace  carries  from 
75  to  90  lbs.  of  dead  weight,  our  ideas  will  become  some- 
what modified.  In  the  same  way  our  cavalry  horses, 
though  they  do  not  carry  armour,  carry  in  dead  weight 
considerably  more  than  the  equivalent. 

There  are  two  curious  sets  of  Japanese  armour  sent  by 
the  Shogun  of  Japan  to  James  I.  These  for  some  years, 
in  a  darker  age,  figured  as  "  a  present  to  Charles  II  from 
the  Great  Mogul,"  which  does  not  throw  a  very  brilHant 
light  on  the  intelligence  and  knowledge  of  Oriental 
armour  of  the  Curator  of  those  days. 

The  examination  of  helmets  opens  up  a  very  compre- 
hensive subject,  and  one  with  perhaps  as  large  a  scope  in 
nomenclature  as  may  be  found  in  the  head  adornment 
women.  Without  wishing  to  terrify  the  reader,  and 
with  no  intention  of  more  than  mentioning  the  fact, 
there  are  not  less  than  two  dozen  various  shapes  and 
fashions,  in  armed  head  protection.  There  are  included 
in  the  terms  Helms,  and  Helmets;  the  Bascinet,  the 
Salade,  the  chafel  de  fer,  the  visored  Salade,  the  Armet ; 
the  close  Helmet,  and  the  tilting  Helmet ;  the  Morion, 
the  combed  Morion ;  the  high-combed  Morion,  and  the 
peaked  Morion  ;  the  Cabasset,  the  Casque,  and  the 
Burgonel;   the  horseman's   Helmet,  the  open  Helmet, 


266  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

and  the  Spider  Helmet ;  the  Pikeman's-Pot,  the  Iron 
Skull-cap,  and  the  Skeleton  skull-cap.  And  thus  on 
through  the  ages,  to  the  modern  metal  helmets  worn 
by  our  Household  and  Heavy  Cavalry  to  this  day. 

One  of  the  quaintest  conceits  is  a  Mask  Helmet,  pre- 
sented by  the  Emperor  Maximilian  I  to  Henry  VIII. 
On  the  brow  are  fixed  two  exact  replicas  in  iron  of 
twdsted  ram's  horns,  and  in  place  of  a  visor  is  a  semi- 
comic  representation  of  a  human  face.  Formerly  the 
face  wore  brass  spectacles,  but  these  have  disappeared. 
One  can  hardly  imagine  so  dignified  a  monarch  as  Henry 
VIII  w^earing  this  helmet,  and  it  is  more  probable  that 
he  handed  it  on  to  the  Court  jester.  Will  Somers,  with 
whose  name  it  was  long  connected.  It  was  valued  only 
at  ^3  in  1688,  which  valuation  would  probably  have 
astonished  the  two  Monarchs. 

The  older  helmets,  under  whatever  designation,  were 
made  for  war  or  for  serious  conflict  in  the  lists ;  but  many 
also  were  intended  mostly  for  pageants,  and  processions. 
It  is  curious  in  passing  to  note  the  likeness  between 
the  modern  British  trench  helmet,  and  the  chapel  de  jer 
of  the  fifteenth  century  ;  whilst  the  present  German 
shrapnel  helmet  is  very  similar  to  the  German  Salade, 
also  of  the  fifteenth  century.  As  armour  became  lighter, 
and  the  warrior  trusted  more  to  agility  and  horseman- 
ship, than  to  straight  ahead  heavy  charging,  the  helmet 
became  lighter  and  more  open ;  till  we  get  the  sixteenth 
and  seventeenth-century  casques,  and  burgonets,  which 
are  quite  open  in  front,  but  still  well  protected  at  the 
back  and  at  the  sides.  A  further  development  in  this 
direction  is  to  be  found  in  the  spider  helmet  of  the 
middle  of  the  seventeenth  century.  This  is,  as  its  name 
implies,  somewhat  like  a  spider  ;  the  wearer's  head  going 
into  the  spider's  body,  whilst  nine  steel  spider's  legs 
hang  down  round  his  face  and  neck.  These  steel  tentacles 
are  hinged,  and  can  be  turned  up  over  the  helmet,  when 
not  required  for  protection. 

Later  came  the  quite  open  morions,  and  pikeman's- 
pots;  which  are  indeed  brimmed  steel  hats  of  various 


ANCIENT  ARMS  AND  ARMOUR         267 

shapes.  These  in  their  turn  being  succeeded  by  steel 
skull  caps  worn  under  a  felt  hat,  and  remaining 
thus  invisible.  A  development  of  this  device  was  the 
skeleton  skull-cap,  or  Secrete,  introduced  at  the  end  of 
the  seventeenth  century  ;  this  was  a  protection  which 
could  be  fitted  into  the  lining  of  a  hat  and  thus  save 
the  wearer  from  many  a  shrewd  blow  at  odd  moments, 
from  light  sword,  or  staff.  A  remnant  of  this  device 
could  be  found  in  the  British  army  helmets  of  only  a 
few  years  ago,  wherein  two  thin  metal  bars  ran  up  from 
right  to  left,  and  from  front  to  rear,  inside  the  helmet, 
crossing  on  the  top.  The  metal  helmets  worn  by  Dragoons, 
Dragoon  Guards,  and  the  Household  Cavalry  were,  till 
1 914,  the  latest  development  of  the  ancient  war  helmet ; 
but  during  the  present  war,  all  the  nations  engaged 
have  returned  to  the  hat-shaped  metal  head  covering 
of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  for  all  branches 
of  the  service,  when  in  battle. 

Amongst  the  ancient  shields  at  the  Tower  there  are 
one  or  two  very  curious  specimens.  One  is  a  buckler  or 
shield  made  of  wood,  with  a  lantern  fixed  near  the  upper 
edge,  so  that  when  attacking  at  night  a  bright  light 
would  be  thrown  on  the  enemy,  whilst  the  man  behind 
the  shield  was  thrown  into  intensified  darkness.  One  of 
these  ohields  is  very  elaborately  painted  on  the  inside 
with  scenes  from  the  Hfe  of  Camillus,  whilst  another  has 
the  outside  decorated  with  armed  equestrian  figures, 
and  the  inside  with  arabesques.  Another  bright  device 
is  a  shield  of  the  sixteenth  century,  which  has  a  breech- 
loading  pistol  protruding  through  the  centre.  When 
first  used  these  shields  must  have  indeed  been  a  surprise  ; 
and  the  combatant  who  first  employed  one  may  well 
have  been  accused  of  hitting  below  the  belt.  The 
mechanism  of  this  breech-loading  pistol  may  be  examined 
with  considerable  interest,  for  the  principle  was  lost 
sight  of  for  some  three  hundred  years,  before  being 
again  employed  in  modern  weapons.  Another  shield  of 
interest  is  one  of  German  make  of  the  fifteenth  or  early 
sixteenth  century.     It  is  of  wood  covered  with  canvas. 


268  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

4  ft.  2  in.  high  and  2  ft.  2  in.  wide.  On  it  is  a  painting 
of  St.  George  on  foot,  wearing  a  salade  hehnet,  and 
engaged  in  his  historic  feat  of  slaying  a  dragon.  He 
carries  a  shield  on  which  are  depicted  three  swans.  To 
be  noticed  also  is  a  buckler  or  shield  of  brass  of  the  late 
sixteenth  century.  On  it  is  a  Tudor  rose,  and  round  in 
compartments  representations  of  the  labours  of  Hercules, 
with  the  inscription  :    advlterio  dieanira  conspvrgans 

OCCDITVR    CACVS    AB     HERCVL.     OPPRIMATVR     1379-^       This 

shield  was  long  known  as  "  The  Spanish  General's  Shield, 
not  worn  by  him  but  carried  as  an  ensign  of  honor,"  and 
according  to  the  same  tradition  was  taken  from  the 
Spanish  Armada. 

Some  of  the  old  knights'  spurs  were  of  fearsome 
dimensions,  and  would  be  quite  capable  of  disembowel- 
ling a  horse.  Probably,  however,  the  horse  was  so  well 
protected  with  quilts  and  armour,  that  these  blood- 
thirsty spikes  only  reached  him  dimly.  One  such  spur 
has  a  neck  8  inches  long,  whilst  others  are  6  inches. 
Most  of  the  spurs  have  rowels  with  six  or  eight  points, 
another  is  perfectly  straight  like  a  short  poignard.  An 
unknown  knight  who  lived  in  the  days  of  Queen  Eliza- 
beth has  left  a  strangely  eloquent  spur.  The  neck  ends 
in  a  fieur-de-lys  and  a  rowel  with  thirty-three  points  ; 
round  the  outside  of  the  spur  on  one  side  is  engraved 
large,  A  trve  knight  by  god,  and  on  the  other,  anger 
ME  AND  TRY.     On  the  insidc  of  the  spur  is  engraved 

WIN   THEME.    1574.    AND   WARE  THEME.      One   Can  withoUt 

difficulty  picture  the  fierce  warrior  who  wore  this  spur, 
and  feel  sympathy  for  anyone  who  angered  him. 

Next  we  come  to  the  arms  of  these  heroes  of  the 
centuries ;  at  first  spears,  and  lances,  and  swords,  and  also 
bows  and  crossbows ;  later  pistols  and  guns,  leading 
eventually  down  to  the  modern  rifle.  The  names,  and 
shapes,  and  sizes  of  these  weapons  are  more  numerous 
even  than  those  of  the  helmets,  and  far  beyond  the 
limits  of  this  present  work.     Here  again  however,  the 

^  The  date  has  at  some  period  been  changed  ;  it  should  be  1 579. 
"The  Armouries  of  the  lower,  by  Chas.  J.  ffoulkes. 


ANCIENT  ARMS  AND  ARMOUR        269 

searcher  after  detailed  information  cannot  do  better 
than  study  Mr.  ffoulkcs'  valuable  book.  Perhaps,  how- 
ever, in  passing  we  may  note  a  few  of  the  most  striking 
examples. 

"  King  Henry  y^  S^'^^  walking  staff  "  is  such  as  befits 
that  redoubtable  monarch,  though  it  was  apparently 
only  valued  later  at  one  shilling.  It  is  a  long  two-handed 
mace,  set  in  the  head  of  which  are  three  pistol  barrels, 
which  could  be  fired  by  a  match  at  the  touch  holes. 
Between  the  barrels,  protruding  at  right  angles,  are  nine 
iron  spikes,  three  between  each  barrel,  whilst  at  the  top 
is  a  long  spike.  His  Majesty  could  therefore  use  his  staff 
as  a  bludgeon,  a  spear,  or  a  pistol. 

Tliere  are  several  other  Idnds  of  maces,  both  with  and 
without  pistols,  which  received  the  generic  title  of 
"  Holy  Water  Sprinklers."  This  was  not,  as  might  be 
imagined,  a  grim  joke  connected  with  their  sanguinary 
possibilities,  but  from  their  similitude  to  the  brush  used 
in  the  Roman  Church  of  those  days  for  sprinkling  holy 
water. 

A  weapon  which  puzzles  many  people  is  the  double- 
pronged  Military  Fork.  This  was  borne  not  so  much 
for  attack  and  defence,  though  doubtless  effective  in 
that  role  ;  but  for  the  more  prosaic  but  equally  useful 
work  of  pulling  down  the  fascines  which  revetted  the 
enemy's  entrenchments.  The  weapon  is  also  provided 
with  a  hook  to  help  in  the  work.  Another  curious  weapon 
is  known  as  a  Horseman's  Hammer.  In  shape  it  is  very 
like  a  small-sized  pickaxe,  such  as  we  see  employed  on  the 
roads  nowadays ;  and  in  those  times  was  doubtless  used 
to  cleave  a  sensible  hole  in  the  helmet,  and  with  luck 
head  of  an  enemy.  Battle-axes  used  for  the  like  purpose 
may  also  be  seen.  We  may  remember  pictures  of  knights 
of  old  fiercely  hewing  at  each  other  with  these. 

Then  we  come  to  swords,  both  tw^o-handed  and  single, 
some  going  back  to  the  thirteenth  century  ;  whilst  many 
are  several  hundred  years  old  ;  broadswords  and  hard- 
dealing  blades.  Followed  these,  when  armour  began 
to  disappear,  came  rapiers  and  light  thrusting  swords. 


270  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

A  cut  and  thrust  sword,  known  as  a  backsword,  which 
belonged  to  a  devoted  follower  of  the  Chevalier  de  St. 
George,  James  Stuart,  is  thus  inscribed  : 

With  this  good  sword 
Thy  cause  I  will  maintain 
And  for  thy  sake  O  James 
WiU  breath  each  vein 
Vivat  Jacobus  Tertius 
Magnae  Brittanni^  Rex. 

Specimens  of  cavalry,  artillery,  and  infantry  swords 
from  that  time  forth  up  to  the  present  time,  will  also 
reward  the  diligence  of  soldiers,  and  others  interested 
in  this  weapon.  More  intimately  connected  with  the 
Tower  are  swords  of  two  centuries  back,  belonging  to  the 
Yeomen  W^arders  of  the  Tower  ;  they  have  gilt  brass 
hilts,  knuckle  bow  and  flat  shells. 

The  dagger  is  a  weapon  which  at  once  conjures  up 
visions  of  a  dark  and  lurid  past.  The  sword  we  look  on 
as  a  clean,  and  open,  and  knightly  weapon  ;  but  the 
dagger  suggests  devilish  deeds,  stabs  in  the  back,  and 
secret  assassination.  Of  daggers  and  stillettos  many  may 
be  studied  of  various  shapes  and  devices  in  the  Tower 
armouries,  and  many  are  centuries  old. 

With  the  bayonet  we  come  into  the  daylight  again. 
True  it  is  nothing  but  a  dagger,  or  a  knife,  fixed  to  the 
muzzle  of  a  gun,  but  it  is  an  open  and  soldierly  weapon. 
It  came  from  the  town  of  Bayonne,  and  first  to  England 
in  1693.  Curiously  enough  its  effect  is  more  moral  than 
practical.  A  bayonet  charge  generally  means  that  one 
side  or  the  other  runs  away,  long  before  the  bayonet  can 
be  used  ;  and  even  in  the  Great  War,  where  contending 
forces  were  fighting  for  years  on  end  at  close  quarters,  the 
medical  records  will  probably  show  that  bayonet  wounds 
were  comparatively  rare.  The  earlier  bayonets  were 
mostly  shaped  like  a  poignard  ;  but  there  is  a  sword 
bayonet,  in  use  some  two  hundred  years  ago,  which  is 
very  similar  to  the  present  British  sword-bayonet.  There 
have  too  from  time  to  time  been  fashions  in  length  of 


ANCIENT  ARMS   AND  ARMOUR        271 

blade,   varying   from  as   much   as   26  inches,   down   to 
7  inches. 

Leaving  the  lethal  weapons  we  come  to  bows  and 
crossbows  ;  the  forerunners  of  projectile  weapons.  One 
of  the  most  curious  of  these  is  the  steel  crossbow,  so 
powerful  that  it  requires  a  small  windlass,  worked  by  the 
feet,  to  draw  it.  These  crossbows  threw  an  arrow,  or  a 
bolt,  or  in  some  cases  a  stone.  All  steel  crossbows  were 
so  powerful  that  they  required  at  least  a  small  hand 
windlass,  called  a  cranequin,  to  draw  them. 

When  gunpowder  came  into  use,  bows  and  crossbows 
gradually  became  obsolete ;  whilst  whole  generations  of 
guns  and  rifles  came  into  being.  It  is  with  some  surprise 
that  we  find  a  breech-loading  harquebus  belonging  to 
Henry  VIII,  which  is  very  closely  alhed  to  the  Snider 
rifle,  considered  a  new  and  wonderful  invention  in  mid- 
Victorian  days.  Henry  VIIl's  gun  may  be  seen  at  the 
Tower,  and  compared  to  the  Snider  ;  it  has  on  it  the 
monogram  H.  R.,  and  the  date  1537. 

There  is  also  a  second  breech-loading  harquebus 
belonging  to  the  same  king,  but  much  larger,  with  a 
barrel  43-i-  inches  in  length,  total  weight  18  lbs.,  and  with 
a  cahbre  of  -71.  Dating  to  early  in  the  sixteenth  century 
may  be  seen  rifled  harquebuses,  and  rifled  carbines. 

Of  historic  interest  is  a  sporting  gun,  called  a  "  bird- 
ing  piece,"  belonging  to  Charles  I  when  a  boy  ;  it  is  a 
beautiful  little  weapon,  and  is  dated  1614.  In  a  subse- 
quent inventory  it  was  only  valued  at  twenty-five  shillings. 

The  next  step  is  to  the  flintlock  musket,  and  one  of 
these  is  marked  J.  2  R.,  with  an  imperial  crown  over 
the  initials ;  a  seventeenth-century  production,  probably 
one  of  a  number  issued  to  the  troops  in  the  reign  of 
James  II.  An  improvement  on  this  was  the  rifled  flint- 
lock musket  and  carbine  of  the  early  part  of  the  last 
century.  The  next  invention  was  the  percussion  cap  in 
place  of  flint  and  steel ;  and  so  on  to  the  made  up  cart- 
ridge and  rifle  of  the  present  day. 

Pistols,  too,  as  seen  at  the  Tower,  have  run  "through 
similar  evolutions,  down  to  the  breech-loading|revolver 


272  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

of  the  .present  day.  These  range  from  the  pistols  of  four 
hundred  years  ago,  down  to  the  revolver  of  Field-Marshal 
Earl  Roberts.  Some  interesting  freak  inventions  will 
attract  attention.  One  of  which  is  a  combined  axe  and 
pistol,  the  axe  head  being  fixed  on  to  the  muzzle'  of  the 
pistol,  which  itself  has  a  long  shaft.  Then  there  is  a 
combined  pistol  and  spear  5  ft.  8  in.  in  length,  probably 
meant  more  for  hunting  than  for  war.  A  third  is  a 
desperate  looking  weapon  combining  a  fork,  a  pickaxe, 
and  a  pistol. 

Both  inside  the  White  Tower,  and  outside  it  on  the 
west  side  are  a  collection  of  ancient  guns ;  these  are 
both  of  British  make,  and  also  trophies  captured  from 
our  enemies.  They  are  mostly  supplied  with  brass 
plates  recording  their  history. 

This  is  at  best  a  fleeting,  and  imperfect  description  of 
one  of  the  most  interesting  collections  of  armour  in  the 
world.  But  its  purpose  w^ill  have  been  served  if  it  gives 
a  slight  gleam  to  the  casual  passer-by,  whilst  encouraging 
others  who  wish  to  know  more  about  the  subject  to  study 
the  works  of  experts  on  armour. 


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XVIII 
THE  JEWEL   HOUSE 

The  regalia  of  old — Kings  with  their  crowns  in  battle — The 
regalia  at  Westminster — Theft  by  a  monk — Permanently 
placed  in  the  Tower — The  crown  frequently  pawned— 
James  Fs  list  of  Jewels — Regalia  broken  up  and  destroyed  by 
Commonwealth — Value  of  the  crown — King  Alfred's  gold 
wire  crown — Colonel  Blood  steals  the  crown — Receives  a 
pension  of  ^500  a  year — Safety  of  the  jewels — Practically 
priceless  in  value — The  King's  crowns — The  Queen's  crowns — 
The  Prince  of  Wales'  crown — The  Royal  sceptre — Queen 
Elizabeth's  salt  cellar — The  ampulla — The  old  horn  comb — 
St.  George's  spurs — The  King's  champion — The  jewelled  sword 
— The  most  valuable  in  the  world — Orders  of  knighthood — 
Decorations  for  valour — The  Black  Prince's  ruby — Its  history — 
The  Timur  ruby— The  Koh-i-Nur,  the  Mountain  of  Light- 
Its  history — The  Star  of  Africa — Its  history — The  Stuart 
sapphire — St.  Edward's  sapphire — Queen  Elizabeth's  pearl  ear- 
rings— The  Keeper  of  the  Regalia — His  rank  and  privileges — 
His  salary  and  emoluments — Some  distinguished  Keepers. 

IN  the  very  early  days  of  the  Enghsh  monarchy  the 
regaha,  which  was  of  no  great  value  and  con- 
sisted of  few  articles,  was  usually  carried  about 
with  the  sovereign,  and  was  in  constant  use. 
The  King  wore  his  crown  and  rich  robes  as  visible 
emblems  of  royalty,  much  as  soldiers  now  wear  their 
uniform.  Even  in  the  battles  of  old  the  King  wore  his 
crown,  sometimes  in  the  form  of  a  circlet  fitted  round  his 
helmet.  Henry  V,  it  will  be  remembered,  wore  his  crown 
at  the  battle  of  Agincourt,  and  a  portion  of  it  was  on 
that  occasion  chipped  off  in  a  personal  encounter  with 
the  Due  d'Alengon  ;  and  Henry  VII  picked  his  crown 
out  of  a  hawthorn  bush  on  the  battlefield  of  Bosworth, 
where  Richard  III  had  discarded  it  before  fleeing. 
T  273 


274  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

When,  however,  the  value  and  quantity  of  regal 
emblems  increased,  they  w^ere,  when  not  in  use,  placed 
in  more  security.  At  first  the  Abbot  and  monks  of 
Westminster  took  charge  ;  the  records  showing  that  the 
regalia  was  so  deposited  between  1042  and  1066.  Later 
it  came  to  be  considered  that  this  was  not  a  very  safe 
asylum,  the  matter  being  sufficiently  emphasized  by  the 
theft  of  some  of  the  jewels  by  one  of  the  monks  in 
charge.  They  were  therefore  removed  for  greater 
security  to  the  Tower  of  London. 

The  permanent  connection  of  the  Crown  Jewels  with 
the  Tower  thus  commenced  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III, 
though  they  were  often  removed  for  divers  causes,  and 
for  lengthy  periods.  A  sovereign  who  went  to  France 
would  take  his  crown  and  regalia  with  him  ;  thus  we 
find  mention  that  Henry  III,  on  his  return  from  that 
country  in  1230,  ordered  the  Bishop  of  Carlisle,  in  whose 
charge  they  were,  to  replace  them  in  the  Tower.  The 
same  monarch,  towards  the  end  of  his  reign,  took  the 
Crown  and  Jewels  to  France,  where,  with  the  assistance 
of  Margaret,  Queen  of  France,  he  pawned  them  to  a 
syndicate  of  French  merchants  in  order  to  meet  his 
immediate  necessities.  They  were  redeemed  and  brought 
back  to  England  in  1272,  presumably  for  the  coronation 
of  his  successor  Edward  I.  Again  in  the  reign  of  Edward 
HI,  to  meet  the  expense  of  prolonged  warfare,  that 
monarch  temporarily  disposed  of  the  Crown  Jewels,  this 
time  to  some  merchants  in  Flanders.  They  were  in 
due  course  redeemed ;  but  Richard  II,  for  a  considera- 
tion of  ^10,000,  again  pawned  them  to  a  merchant  of 
London,  named  John  Philipot,  the  Bishop  of  London 
and  the  Earl  of  Arundel  standing  security. 

Henry  V,  also  to  procure  the  sinews  of  war,  pledged 
some  of  the  Crown  Jewels  to  the  "  Mayor  and  Com- 
monalty of  London  "  for  the  sum  of  10,000  marks  ;  and 
later  obtained  large  sums  from  the  nobility  and  others, 
by  pledging  further  portions  of  the  regalia. 

On  several  occasions  Henry  VI  followed  his  father's 
example ;     one    of    the    most    unique    being    when    he 


THE  JEWEL  HOUSE  275 

pledged  the  Crown  Jewels  to  his  uncle  Henry,  Bishop  of 
Winchester,  in  security  for  a  loan  of  7,000  marks.  The 
agreement  stated,  that  if  they  were  not  redeemed  by 
Easter,  1440,  they  were  to  become  the  absolute  property 
of  the  worthy  Cardinal  Bishop. 

A  few  years  later  a  portion  of  the  regalia  was  handed 
over  in  pledge  to  Humphrey,  Earl  of  Buckingham,  to  be 
redeemed  the  following  Easter,  when  probably  the 
revenue  was  due.  This  was  in  security  for  the  payment 
of  1000  marks  due  to  him  and  the  soldiers  serving  under 
him,  then  quartered  in  the  town  of  Calais.  If  not  re- 
deemed on  the  date  specified,  the  jewels  were  to  become 
the  absolute  property  of  the  Earl  of  Buckingham. 

When  James  I  came  to  the  throne,  the  regalia  appears 
to  have  been  rich  and  various.  A  complete  list  was  made 
out,  and  signed  both  at  the  beginning  and  end  by  the 
King  ;  this  interesting  document  is  preserved  in  the 
Chapter-house  at  Westminster.  The  heading  of  the 
document  reads  : 

"  James  R. 

Jewelles    remayninge   in   an   iron   cheste   in   the 
secrete  Jewelhouse  w'in  the  Tower  of  London." 

The  list,  though  too  long  to  be  quoted  in  full,  contains 
descriptions  of  an  Lnperial  Crown,  a  coronet,  and  a  circlet, 
all  plentifully  set  with  pearls  and  precious  stones  : 
also  a  "  circlett  newe  made  for  the  queue,"  richly 
jewelled.  There  are  therein  described  no  less  than  fifteen 
"  collers  of  gold,"  all  blazing  with  diamonds  and  precious 
stones,  very  possibly  due  to  the  taste,  in  jewelry  of  his 
predecessor  on  the  throne.  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  were 
doubtless  suitable  for  her  wear.  At  the  end  of  the  list 
we  drop  from  diamonds  and  precious  stones  to  articles 
of  more  personal  interest,  such  as  "  a  purse  w^'^  sondrye 
mettals  of  copper,"  and  "  one  longe  pece  esteemed  for 
an  unicornes  home  "  ;  also  "  three  other  peces  esteemed 
lykewise  to  be  unycornes  home."  There  is  a  distinct 
savour  of  the  great  Queen,  and  her  sea  captains,  about 
these. 

Further  there  is  a  long  list  of  jewels  taken  out  of  the 


276  THE  TOWKR  FROM  WITHIN 

"  saide  secrete  jewelhouse  in  the  Tower,"  and  presented 
by  James  I  to  his  Queen. 

Eventually,  however,  after  many  centuries,  the  old 
regaha  came  to  its  fateful  end.  Much  of  the  plate  was 
melted  down  by  Charles  I  to  meet  his  necessities,  and 
doubtless  jewels  were  sold  or  pawned  in  the  same  cause, 
but  the  emblems  of  royalty  still  remained.  These  also 
came  to  an  untimely  end,  when  the  head  of  that  un- 
happy monarch  was  stricken  off  at  Whitehall.  After 
that  tragic  event,  by  the  orders  of  ParHament,  the 
crowns  and  all  emblems  of  royalty  were  to  be  broken  up 
and  destroyed.  This  was  accordingly  done.  There  were 
saved  only  the  Black  Prince's  ruby,  the  ampulla  and 
spoon,  and  Queen  Elizabeth's  salt  cellar. 

The  full  hst  of  the  articles  sold  or  destroyed,  and  the 
values  attached,  are  to  be  found  in  the  Record  Office, 
and  it  may  be  of  interest  to  give  some  of  the  more 
important  items.  It  must,  however,  be  borne  in  mind 
that  these  figures  should  be  multiplied  by  five  to  give 
their  value,  compared  to  present  rates. 
"  The   Imperial   Crowne   of   massy   gold 

weighing  7  lbs.  6  oz.  valued  at  £j^^^     o     ^ 

The    queenes    crowne    of    massy    gold 

weighing  3  lbs.  10  oz.  ;£338     3     4 

A  small  crowne  found  in  an  iron  chest 
formerly  in  the  Lord  Cottington's 
Chargei  ^  £73   16     8 

the   gold,   the   diamonds,   rubies, 

sapphires,  etc.  £355     ^     ° 

The  globe  weighing  i  lb.  5^  oz.  £57  10     o 

Two  coronation  bracelets  weighing  7  oz. 

(with  three  rubies  and  twelve  pearls)        £36     o     o 

Two  sceptres,  weighing  18  oz.  £60     o     o 

A  long  rod  of  silver  gilt  i  lb.  5  oz.  ^         £4  10     o 

The  foremention'd  crownes,  since  y^  inventorie  was 

taken,  are,  accordinge  to  ord'  of  parm*  totalhe  broken 

and  defaced. 


"Ol 


1  Probably  Edward  VI's  crown. 

*  The  English  Regalia,  by  Cyril  Davenport, 


THE  JEWEL  HOUSE  277 

Besides  these  there  are  shown  as  having  been  removed 
"  from  Westminster  Abbey  to  the  Jewel-house  in  the 
Tower,"  to  be  destroyed  : 

"  Queene      Edith's      crowne,      formerly 

thought   to   be   of  massy  gold,   but, 

upon  trial  found  to  be  of  silver  gilt  ; 

enriched  w^ith  garnets,   foule  pearle, 

saphires,   and  some  old  stones,  poiz 

50i  oz.  valued  at  £16     o     o 

"  King  Alfred's  crowne  of  goulde  wyer 

worke,   sett   with   slight   stones   poiz 

791  oz.  at  £3  per  oz.  ^^248   10     o 

These  together  with  other  emblems  of  royalty  were 
therefore  also  according  "  to  order  of  Parliament  " 
"  broken  and  defaced." 

It  is  some  small  relief  to  learn  that  several  Members 
of  Parliament  before  this  deed  of  sabotage  was  sanctioned, 
condemned  it ;  chiefly  it  would  appear  on  the  ground 
that  the  regalia  was,  from  its  historic  associations,  worth 
more  than  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  stones  and  metals 
composing  it.  That  so  priceless  a  national  treasure  as 
King  Alfred's  crown  should  thus  have  been  thrown  into 
the  melting  pot,  is  especially  regrettable. 

After  the  Restoration  a  completely  new  set  of  regalia 
was  made  under  the  orders  of  Charles  H.  With  the 
few  exceptions  already  mentioned,  all  the  crowns  and 
emblems  of  royalty,  now  to  be  seen  at  the  Tower  of 
London,  date  therefore  to  periods  not  earlier  than  the 
coronation  of  the  second  Charles. 

The  Crown  of  England,  known  as  St.  Edward's 
Crown,  was  fashioned  by  Sir  Robert  Vyner,  as  nearly  as 
could  be  ascertained  on  the  lines  of  the  original,  which, 
according  to  tradition,  came  down  from  Edward  the 
Confessor.  This  crown,  now  in  the  Tower,  had  a  very 
curious  adventure  early  in  its  career  which  may  be  here 
related. 

Sir  Gilbert  Talbot  and  his  deputy  I'albot  Edwards  had, 
as  part  of  their  emoluments,  the  privilege  of  exhibiting 


278  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

the  Crown  Jewels,  and  taking  fees  from  visitors  for  so 
doing.  Amongst  others  who  came  to  see  them  was  the 
"  Fam'd  Mr.  Blood,"  better  known  to  history  as  Colonel 
Blood.  An  Irishman  and  a  freelance,  he  conceived  the 
idea  of  carrying  off  the  Crown ;  perhaps  not  so  much  for 
booty  as  to  draw  attention  to  his  grievances,  imaginary 
or  otherwise.  The  Crown  Jewels  were  not  very  care- 
fully guarded  in  those  days,  being  merely  placed  in  an 
iron  cage  in  a  chamber  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  Martin 
Tower.  There  was  no  military  guard  on  them,  and  their 
sole  protector  was  an  old  man,  Talbot  Edwards,  the 
Deputy  Keeper,  who  lived  with  his  family  in  the  two 
storeys  above.  Before  his  attempt  on  the  Crown  the 
fam'd  Mr.  Blood  had  been  the  hero  of  many  wild 
adventures,  amongst  the  chief  of  which  are  mentioned 
a  plot  to  surprise  Dubhn  Castle  ;  several  transactions  of 
a  turbulent  character  executed  from  his  headquarters 
for  the  time  being  in  the  city  of  London  ;  the  rescue  of 
Captain  Manson,  a  State  prisoner  marching  under  a 
guard  of  soldiers,  near  Doncaster  ;  and  finally  an  attempt 
to  murder  his  Grace  the  Duke  of  Ormond. 

On  the  present  occasion  the  attempt,  with  whatever 
motive,  was  carried  out  with  some  skill  and  considerable 
brutality.  Disguised  as  a  parson  Blood  ingratiated  himself 
with  Talbot  Edwards,  and  became  on  such  famihar 
terms  with  him  that  a  marriage  was  proposed  between 
Talbot  Edwards'  daughter  and  a  son  of  Colonel 
Blood,  who  as  a  matter  of  fact  did  not  exist.  Dis- 
guised behind  this  hymeneal  camouflage.  Blood  and 
two  friends  were  invited  to  supper  with  the  old  man. 
On  arrival,  and  whilst  waiting  for  the  ladies  to  appear, 
Blood  suggested  to  Talbot  Edwards  that  he  might 
show  the  regaha  to  his  friends.  Edwards  readily  agreed, 
and  unlocking  the  door  ushered  in  the  visitors,  and 
according  to  standing  orders  locked  the  door  behind 
him.  The  old  man  was  instantly  set  upon,  knocked 
down  senseless,  and  gagged.  Blood  then  seized  the 
Crown,  and  with  a  wooden  mallet  beat  in  the  arches  so 
as  to  make  it  more  portable,  and  stuffed  it  into  a  receptacle 


THE  JEWEL  HOUSE  279 

made  for  the  purpose,  and  which  hung  round  his  waist 
under  his  parson's  gown.    One  of  his  confederates  seized 
the  Orb  with  the  valuable  ballas  ruby  in  it  ;  whilst  the 
second  set  to  work  to  file  the  sceptre  into  short  lengths 
for  easier  transport.     Thus  far  all  was  well,  but  at  this 
moment  came  an  exceedingly  dramatic  surprise.    Young 
Edwards,  son  of  Talbot  Edwards,  who  was  supposed  to 
be  serving  as  a  soldier  in  Flanders,  suddenly  and  quite 
unexpectedly  arrived  on  leave  from  the  front.     Finding 
no  one  about  except  Blood's  look-out  man  at  the  door, 
he  immediately  suspected  that  something  was  wrong, 
and   ran  upstairs   to   the  women.      From  them  hastily 
learning  about  the  visitors  he  rushed  down  again,  and 
went  to  the  chamber  where  the  Crown  Jewels  were  kept. 
The   door   he   found   open,   the   Crown   and   Orb    and 
Sceptre  gone,  and  his  old  father  moaning  on  the  ground. 
Apparently  whilst  he  was  upstairs  the  look-out  man  gave 
Blood  warning,  and  he  and  his  accomplices  fled.    Young 
Edwards  immediately  gave  pursuit,  and  raised  the  hue 
and  cry ;  but  it  was  a  dark  night,  and  the  Tower  a  con- 
fused place,  so  that  many  innocent  people  nearly  killed 
each  other.    Captain  Beckenham,  for  instance,  who  com- 
manded the  mainguard,  narrowly  escaping  being  spitted 
by    a    zealous   pursuer.     Blood,    in   parson   guise,   with 
ready  wit   added   to  the  confusion  by  himself  yelling, 
"  Stop  the  thief,"  and  pointing  at  others  running.     In 
this  darkness  and  hurly-burly  it  was  rather  by  good  luck 
than  otherwise  that  the  real  offenders  were  caught  on 
St.  Katherine's  Wharf  outside  the  Tower,  just  as  they 
were    getting    to    horse.      The    regalia    was    recovered 
practically  intact,  though  a  few  stones  which  had  fallen 
out  in  the  scuffle  were  never  recovered.     Knowing  the 
times  and  the  cheapness  of  human  hfe,  one  is  prepared 
to  hear  that  Colonel  Blood  was  forthwith  hanged,  drawn, 
and  quartered.     Not  so.     On  the  contrary  the  merry 
monarch  sent  for  Colonel  Blood,  treated  the  whole  affair 
as  a  sporting  effervescence,  and  gave  Colonel  Blood  a 
pension  of  ^500  a  year  !    There  were  some  of  course 
who  said  that  the  King  himself  was  concerned  in  this 


28o  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

sporting  venture  ;  that  being  as  usual  extremely  short 
of  cash  he  had  struck  on  this  novel  means  of  replenishing 
his  purse,  by  stealing  his  own  Crown.  Others  on  equally 
slender  evidence  averred  that  the  attempt  was  the  out- 
come of  a  bet  ;  that  King  Charles  having  laid  a  wager 
that  no  one  could  steal  the  Crown,  and  news  thereof 
having  reached  Colonel  Blood,  he  determined  to  win 
the  wager,  and  with  it  the  King's  notice.  These  stories 
may  be  taken  for  what  they  are  worth;  but  anyway 
Colonel  Blood  got  his  ^^500  a  year. 

Despite  this  warning  regarding  the  loose  custody  of 
the  Crown  Jewels,  it  seems  to  have  been  a  long  time 
before  the  regalia  was  placed  in  as  complete  a  state  of 
security  as  its  value  intrinsically  and  historically  de- 
manded. True  the  regaha  was  eventually  transferred 
to  stronger  premises  in  the  Wakefield  Tower,  and  was 
placed  under  the  police  and  mihtary  guards  ;  but  these 
priceless  gems  were  never  quite  secure  till  the  reign  of 
Edward  VII.  This  element  of  insecurity  was  brought 
home  by  the  robbery  of  the  jewels  of  the  Order  of  St. 
Patrick  from  Dubhn  Castle  in  recent  years  ;  from  which 
it  was  apparent  that  more  complete  measures  must  be 
taken  to  ensure  the  safety  of  the  regalia.  These  steps 
were  taken  by  King  Edward,  and  have  resulted  in  a 
guardianship,  both  personal  and  mechanical,  which  as 
far  as  prescience  and  ingenuity  can  ensure,  affords  an 
adequate  security. 

Th.e  Regaha  or  Crown  Jewels  of  England,  now  in  the 
Wakefield  Tower,  are  held  to  be  many  degrees  more 
valuable  than  those  possessed  by  any  sovereign  in  the 
world.  Intrinsically  they  are  practically  priceless, 
historically  completely  so. 

First  in  interest  naturally  come  the  three  crowns  of 
His  Majesty  the  King.  These  are  Edward  the  Confessor's 
Crown,  the  State  Crown,  and  the  Indian  Imperial  Crown. 

Edward  the  Confessor's  Crown  is  the  one  above 
mentioned,  made  by  Sir  Robert  Vyner  in  1662  for 
Charles  II,  on  the  fines  of  the  old  crown  destroyed  by 
the  Commonwealth.    It  is  with  this  crown  that  the  King 


THE  JEWEL  HOUSE  281 

is  crowned  by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  in  West- 
minster Abbey  ;  but  being  very  heavy  it  is  almost  at 
once  removed  and  replaced  by  the  State  crown,  a 
lighter  but  much  more  beautiful  emblem.  Edward 
the  Confessor's  crown  was  much  battered  about  by 
Colonel  Blood,  but  has  since  been  completely  restored, 
and  in  various  reigns  has  been  slightly  altered  as  regards 
setting. 

The  State  Crown,  which  is  the  one  worn  by  His 
Majesty  on  State  occasions,  such  as  the  opening  of 
Parliament,  is  a  very  beautiful  piece  of  work  and  is 
literally  priceless  in  value.  It  contains  besides  the  great 
pearls,  worn  as  earrings  by  Queen  Elizabeth,  themselves, 
apart  from  historic  association,  of  very  high  value,  two 
stones  each  of  which  might  be  considered  worth  a  King's 
ransom.  These  are  the  Black  Prince's  ruby,  and  the 
second  portion  of  the  "  Star  of  Africa,"  known  first  as 
the  Cullinan  diamond.  At  the  back  of  this  crown,  in 
the  band  and  opposite  the  "  Star  of  Africa,"  is  a  large 
sapphire,  known  as  the  Stuart  sapphire.  This  crown 
was  made  for  Queen  Victoria  by  Rundell  and  Bridge  in 
1838,  but  in  its  present  form  with  the  "  Star  of  Africa  " 
introduced,  is  the  work  of  Messrs.  Garrard.  A  crown, 
Hke  any  other  head  cover,  has  to  be  made  to  fit  the 
wearer,  thus  alterations  more  or  less  important  have  to 
be  made  at  each  coronation.  When  this  crown  was 
altered  for  Edward  VH  it  had  to  be  enlarged,  and  again 
for  King  George  V  reduced,  twenty  small  pearls  being 
taken  out. 

Tlie  Imperial  Indian  Crown  has  rather  a  curious 
history.  When  it  was  decided  that  King  George  V 
should  proceed  to  India  to  be  crowned  Emperor  of 
India,  it  was  pointed  out  by  the  law  officers  of  the 
Crown  that  it  was  against  the  laws  of  England  for  the 
English  Crown  to  leave  these  shores.  Possibly  this  law 
was  the  outcome  of  the  experience  of  the  past,  when 
Kings  of  England  were  in  the  habit  of  taking  their 
crowns  abroad,  and  pawning  them  to  the  Jews  of 
Flanders  or  elsewhere.    Anyway  such  was  the  law,  and 


2«2 


THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 


though  tliis  could  have  been  repealed,  it  was  thought 
better,  considering  the  risks  by  sea  and  land,  that  a  new 
crown  should  be  made.  This  work  was  entrusted  to 
Messrs.  Garrard,  and  a  very  beautiful  and  artistic  piece 
of  work  was  the  result.  There  are  no  historic  stones  in 
this  crown,  but  it  is  a  mass  of  gems  of  the  highest 
quality,  6000  in  number  it  is  said,  and  cost  j/^60,000. 

Next  in  interest  and  importance  come  the  three  crowns 
of  the  Queen.  These  are  the  crown  of  Mary  of  Modena, 
the  wife  of  James  II  ;  a  diadem  made  for  the  same 
Queen  ;  and  the  crown  of  Mary,  Queen  of  George  V. 
The  diadem  and  crown  of  Mary  of  Modena  were  worn, 
the  former  on  the  way  to  coronation,  and  the  latter 
on  the  return,  after  being  crowned.  The  diadem  is 
said  to  have  cost  in  those  days  ^110,000;  it  is  very 
richly  encrusted  with  diamonds,  many  of  good  size  and 
considerable  value.  The  crown  is  very  small,  of  the 
usual  shape  of  a  royal  crown.  The  present  Queen's 
crown,  made  by  Messrs  Garrard  for  Queen  Mary  in 
1 91 1,  is  very  much  larger,  and  is  Her  Majesty's  private 
property,  being  set  wdth  her  own  stones  ;  except  only 
the  Koh-i-Nur  and  two  smaller  portions  of  the  Cullinan 
diamond.  This  crown  is  of  very  graceful  proportions 
with  four  arches,  and  is  very  becoming  to  Her  present 
Majesty. 

One  other  emblem  of  dynastic  and  historic  interest  at 
the  Tower  is  the  crown  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  made 
of  plain  gold,  without  jewels,  and  with  one  arch.  This 
one  arch  differentiates  it  from  the  coronet  of  a  Duke  or 
other  peer  which  has  no  arches  ;  as  well  as  from  the 
crown  of  a  ruling  monarch  which  has,  as  in  the  case  of 
Edward  the  Confessor's  crown,  two  arches  crossing  each 
other.  The  Prince  of  Whales'  crown  is  placed  on  his 
head  when  he  is  created  Prince  of  Wales,  and  further  it 
is  placed  before  him  on  a  cushion  when  he  takes  his  seat 
in  the  House  of  Lords,  at  such  State  ceremonies  as  the 
opening  of  Parliament  by  the  King. 

Besides  the  crowns  there  are  several  portions  of  the 
regalia  of  special  interest,  some  from  an  historical  point 


THE  JEWEL  HOUSE  283 

of  view,  and  others  from  their  great  value.  Thus  there 
are  several  sceptres,  or  rods,  of  emblematic  interest, 
which  are  carried  by  the  King  and  Queen.  Of  these 
perhaps  one  which  may  be  singled  out  for  mention  is 
the  Royal  Sceptre  of  the  King,  at  the  head  of  which  is 
set  the  first,  and  largest,  portion  of  the  great  diamond 
the  "  Star  of  Africa."  This  unique  stone  is  by  a  very 
ingenious  device  invented  by  Mr.  Pearson  of  Garrard's, 
so  fixed  as  to  be  easily  removable  if  required,  and  can 
thus  be  worn  separately  as  an  ornament.^  It  is  on  State 
occasions  sometimes  so  worn  by  Queen  Mary.  The 
sceptre  dates  from  James  H,  and  the  stone  has  been  very 
cleverly  introduced  without  interfering  with  the  general 
design  of  the  sceptre. 

Another  portion  of  the  regalia  of  special  interest  is  a 
large  silver-gilt  salt  cellar  which  belonged  to,  and  was 
probably  used  by.  Queen  Elizabeth.  This  fortunately 
escaped  the  fate  of  much  of  the  plate  and  Crown  Jewels, 
during  the  necessities  of  the  reign  of  Charles  I,  and  the 
deliberate  destruction  of  the  Commonwealth. 

The  ampulla  too  escaped  the  fiery  zeal  of  the  Crom- 
wellians ;  having  very  possibly  been  hidden,  or  forgotten, 
in  the  vaults  of  Westminster  Abbey.  It  is  of  solid  gold, 
and  is  supposed  to  represent  an  eagle,  the  emblem  of 
imperial  dominion.  There  was  a  much  more  ancient 
ampulla  than  this,  enriched  with  pearls  and  diamonds, 
but  that  disappeared  many  centuries  ago.  The  ampulla 
now  to  be  seen  may  claim  to  date  from  1399  when 
Henry  IV  was  crowned.  The  bird  is  hollow  and  holds 
the  holy  cream  or  oil  with  which  the  King  is  anointed 
on  his  coronation.  James  II  paid  his  apothecary,  James 
St.  Armand,  Esq.,  as  much  as  ;/^200  for  the  cream  supplied 
for  his  coronation.-  The  holy  oil  is  poured  by  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  out  of  the  beak  of  the  bird 
into  the  coronation  spoon.     Into  this  spoon  he  dips  his 

'.  ^  The  portion  of  the  "  Star  of  Africa  "  in  the  King's  State  Crown 
can  also  be  removed  and  worn  as  an  ornament. 

*  The  English  Regalia,  by  Cyril  Davenport. 


284  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

finger,  and  making  a  cross  on  the  King's  head  completes 
the  ceremony  of  anointing.  In  this  connection  a  some- 
what quaint  item  appears  in  the  hst  of  regaha  destroyed, 
or  disposed  of,  by  the  Commonwealth.  It  is  "  one  old 
combe  of  home,  worth  nothing."  This  comb  Mr. 
Davenport  thinks  was  probable  the  one  used  to  re- 
arrange His  Majesty's  hair  after  the  anointing.  That 
old  comb,  worth  nothing  in  those  days,  would  un- 
doubtedly fetch  a  very  large  sum  at  Christie's  in  this 
year  of  grace. 

Saint  George's  spurs  which  are  of  gold,  are  one  of  the 
military  emblems  of  the  sovereign,  denoting  knighthood 
and  chivalry.  They,  like  the  sword,  are  handed  to  the 
Sovereign  at  his  coronation,  and  by  him  deposited  on 
the  altar  as  a  token  of  submission  to  the  Almighty,  and 
are  then  redeemed  on  the  payment  of  a  fixed  sum  to  the 
Church.  The  King's  Champion  bears  the  spurs  on  this 
occasion,  and  the  Dymoke  family  claim  to  be  hereditary 
King's  Champions.  In  former  days  the  King's  Champion 
in  full  armour  rode  into  Westminster  Hall,  and  casting 
his  gauntlet  on  the  ground  challenged  all  and  sundry  to 
contest  the  right  of  the  King  proclaimed,  to  the  throne. 
When  the  coronation  of  King  Edward  was  being  pre- 
pared a  champion  with  rival  claims  to  the  honour  of 
being  the  King's  Champion  entered  the  lists.  This  was 
Sir  Claude  Champion  de  Crespigny,  who  claimed  that 
his  ancestors  were  champions  to  the  Dukes  of  Normandy, 
before  William  the  Conqueror  came  to  England.  King 
Edward,  with  the  wisdom  of  Solomon,  solved  the  problem 
by  appointing  two  champions,  each  of  whom  carried  one 
spur. 

The  jewelled  State  sword  is  a  beautiful  work  of  art, 
and  is  richly  ornamented  with  gems.  The  designs  on 
the  scabbard  represent  the  Rose,  the  Thistle,  and  the 
Shamrock,  whilst  the  hilt  represents  a  lion  in  brilliants 
and  precious  stones.  It  is  said  to  be  the  most  valuable 
sword  in  the  world,  and  is  the  one  offered  by  the  King 
together  with  the  spurs  to  the  Church ;  but  happily 
His  Majesty  is  allowed  to  redeem  it  on  payment  of  lOO 


THE  JEWEL   HOUSE  285 

shillings.  This  sword  is  at  the  coronation  borne  by  the 
Keeper  of  the  Jewel  House. 

In  the  Jewel  House  may  also  be  seen  the  insignia  of 
the  Orders  of  Knighthood,  as  well  as  decorations  granted 
for  gallantry  in  battle,  whether  on  land,  in  the  air,  or  on 
the  high  seas.  Of  the  Orders  of  Knighthood  the  most 
celebrated  are  the  Order  of  the  Garter,  and  the  Order  of 
the  Bath.  The  Order  of  the  Garter  dates  from  the  reign 
of  Edward  HI,  with  its  well-known  motto,  "  Honi  soit 
qui  mal  y  pense,"  which  as  well  as  the  Order  itself 
came,  according  to  tradition,  from  the  incident  of  a  lady 
dropping  her  garter  in  a  public  place.  The  origin  of  the 
Order  of  the  Bath  has  been  fully  dealt  with  elsewhere, 
but  the  actual  ceremony  of  the  aspirant  to  Knighthood 
being  bathed,  both  as  a  bodily  and  spiritual  token,  was 
much  more  ancient.  The  recognized  Order,  however, 
dates  from  1399. 

Amongst  the  decorations  for  bravery  in  battle  the 
Victoria  Cross  takes  the  first  place.  At  one  time  the 
ribbon  of  the  Cross  was  red  for  the  Army,  and  blue  for 
the  Navy ;  but  on  the  institution  of  the  Air  Force,  the 
ribbon  for  all  became  red. 

Before  leaving  the  Jewel  House  it  may  be  of  interest 
to  give  the  history  of  some  of  the  most  famous  gems. 
Of  these  perhaps  the  most  striking  is  the  Black  Prince's 
ruby,  which  is  known  amongst  lapidaries  as  a  spinel  ruby. 
It  is  of  irregular  egg  shape,  about  2  inches  in  length 
and  of  proportional  breadth.  Tlie  ruby  has  a  highly 
polished  surface,  but  is  uncut.  In  colour  it  is  darker 
than  the  most  highly  prized  modern  stones,  which 
aspire  to  be  of  the  delicate  shade  known  as  pigeon's 
blood.  At  one  end  the  great  stone  is  pierced,  which  fact 
is  held  to  denote  its  Oriental  origin,  from  the  well  known 
Eastern  custom  of  piercing  such  gems,  and  wearing  them 
as  pendants.  This  hole  has  at  some  period  been  stopped 
up,  and  a  small  ruby  in  a  gold  setting  has  been  intro- 
duced. Whatever  its  Oriental  career  may  have  been, 
and  stones  of  this  size  are  generally  of  great  antiquity, 
this  line  jewel  first  appears  in  Western  history  as  the 


286  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

property  of  the  King  of  Granada  in  Spain.  That 
monarch  lost  his  hfe  over  its  possession  ;  for  being  coveted 
by  Don  Pedro,  King  of  Castille,  that  potentate  killed 
the  King  of  Granada,  and  took  the  ruby  in  a.d.  1367. 
But  evidently  it  did  not  give  him  the  pleasure  he  had 
thus  dearly  bought  ;  possession  soon  cloyed,  so  that  the 
same  year  we  find  him  passing  it  on  as  a  present,  to 
Edw^ard  the  Black  Prince,  son  of  Edw^ard  III  of  England. 
The  Black  Prince,  in  command  of  an  English  army,  had 
done  Don  Pedro  good  service,  especially  at  the  battle  of 
Najera  near  Vittoria,  the  scene  it  may  be  remembered  of 
another  British  victory  many  centuries  later. 

The  jewel  thus  came  definitely  into  the  possession  of 
the  British  Crown,  and  has  so  remained  ever  since.  In 
early  days  it  was  the  custom  for  monarchs  and  nobles  to 
wear  jewels  in  their  head-dresses,  thus  this  great  ruby 
may  be  seen  in  the  coroneted  cap  which  the  Black 
Prince  is  wearing  in  the  accompanying  engraving.  The 
Black  Prince  died  in  1376,  a  year  before  his  father,  and 
therefore  never  came  to  the  throne,  but  probably  he 
handed  on  the  ruby  to  his  son  Richard,  who  became  the 
next  King  of  England  under  the  title  of  Richard  II. 
No  mention  is  made  of  the  ruby  in  the  reign  of  Henry  IV, 
who  usurped  the  throne  ;  but  we  again  hear  of  it  in  the 
next  reign,  that  of  Henry  V.  This  King  wore  the  great 
ruby  in  his  helmet  in  the  historic  battle  of  Agincourt  in 
141 5,  where  against  enormous  odds  he  beat  the  French, 
himself  engaging  in  hand  to  hand  fighting.  The  ruby, 
however,  was  happily  untouched,  and  came  victorious 
with  its  wearer  out  of  the  fray. 

That  was  probably  the  last  occasion  on  which  the 
great  ruby  has  been  worn  in  battle  ;  from  that  time 
onwards  till  the  Commonwealth  it  reposed  peacefully 
in  the  possession  of  many  sovereigns,  and  probably  found 
a  place  in  their  State  crowns. 

The  manner  in  which  the  ruby  survived  the  time  of 
the  Commonwealth  is  a  matter  of  some  speculation. 
The  only  record  regarding  it  is  contained  in  a  Parlia- 
mentary document  which  mentions,  "  One  ruby  ballas 


THE    BLACK    PRINCK 
WnH    THF,    FAMOUS    RUHV 


HIS    CORONKT 


THE  JEWEL  HOUSE  287 

pierced  and  wrapt  in  a  paper  by  itself.  Valued  at 
£4.  o.  o."  The  valuer  little  knew  what  he  was 
valuing,  and  there  is  no  record  as  to  who  bought  it 
at  this  figure.  Nor  do  we  know  how  it  came  back  into 
the  possession  of  the  Crown,  but  very  possibly  some 
Royalist  had  bought  it,  and  gave  it  back  to  Charles  H 
on  his  restoration. 

When  Colonel  Blood  attempted  to  steal  the  crown, 
he  took  the  orb  as  well,  and  it  is  recorded  that  a  large 
ballas  ruby  formed  one  of  its  ornaments.  Possibly  this 
was  the  Black  Prince's  ruby. 

To  come  to  more  modern  times,  the  Black  Prince's 
ruby  was  in  Queen  Victoria's  State  Crown,  in  that  of 
King  Edward  VH,  and  is  now  in  the  State  Crown  of 
King  George  V.  This  it  will  be  remembered  is  the 
crown  His  Majesty  may  be  seen  wearing  when  he  drives 
in  State  to  open  Parliament. 

For  a  long  time  the  Black  Prince's  ruby  was  held  to  be 
the  largest  known  ruby  in  existence,  the  Timur  ruby, 
which  was  undoubtedly  larger,  having  disappeared. 
This  latter  ruby,  also  a  spinel,  and  measuring  "  three 
fingers  in  width  and  six  fingers  in  length,"  came  to 
light  again  in  a  somewhat  dramatic  manner,  owing  to 
the  skill  in  languages  and  knowledge  of  stones  of  Lieut.- 
Colonel  Sir  James  Dunlop-Smith.  He  had  obtained 
gracious  permission,  as  one  interested  in  precious  stones, 
to  see  the  jewels  of  Her  present  Majesty  Queen  Mary. 
Amongst  others  he  was  shown  a  very  large  engraved 
spinel  ruby,  which  he  at  once  recognized  as  very  like  the 
descriptions  of  the  long  lost  Timur  ruby.  To  make 
assurance  doubly  sure  he  secured  the  services  of  an  expert 
Oriental  scholar,  and  between  them  they  established  the 
undoubted  fact  that  the  Timur  ruby  was  found,  for  on 
it  are  inscribed  the  names  of  the  Eastern  monarchs  who 
owned  it.  The  earhest  date  inscribed  on  the  Timur  ruby 
corresponds  with  a.d.  161 2,  but  Timur  himself  began  to 
reign  in  a.d.  1370,  and  he  probably  acquired  the  ruby 
when  he  invaded  India  and  took  Delhi  in  a.d.  1398. 
Whatever  therefore  the  previous  adventures  of  this  ruby 


288  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

may  have  been,  it  appears  in  history  only  about  thirty 
years  later  than  the  Black  Prince's  ruby. 

Sir  James  Dunlop-Smith  has  been  able  to  trace  the 
history  of  the  Timur  ruby  through  many  centuries,  and 
through  the  hands  of  many  great  Asiatic  monarchs,  till 
at  last  it  reached  the  Maharajah  Runjit  Singh,  the  Lion 
of  the  Punjab.  By  right  of  conquest  this  great  ruby, 
together  with  the  Koh-i-Nur  diamond,  fell  to  the 
British  in  1849.  Eclipsed  by  that  wonderful  brilliant,  the 
comparatively  obscure  ruby  was  lost  in  the  shadow.  It 
was  packed  with  other  stones  and  sent  to  England  in 
ordinary  course,  via  Karachi  and  Bombay,  and  was 
exhibited  in  London  at  the  Great  Exhibition  of  1851. 
On  the  closing  of  the  Exhibition  the  East  India  Company, 
apparently  unaware  of  its  history,  presented  the  ruby, 
together  with  some  pearls,  and  an  emerald  girdle,  to 
Queen  Victoria,  who  in  her  turn  passed  the  ruby  on  to 
her  successors  on  the  throne.  It  is  pierced  at  one  end, 
as  are  many  ancient  Oriental  stones,  so  as  to  be  worn  as  a 
pendant.  It  is  not  known  whether  Queen  Victoria,  any 
more  than  the  East  India  Company,  was  aware  of  the 
value  or  history  of  the  Timur  ruby,  but  for  more  than 
half  a  century  the  dealers  in  precious  stones,  and  lapidaries, 
had  been  searching  the  world  for  that  stone,  whilst  all 
the  time  it  was  reposing  peacefully  at  Windsor  Castle, 
or  Buckingham  Palace.  Immediately  news  of  its  dis- 
covery was  received  telegrams  were  sent  by  the  trade  to 
every  capital  in  the  world,  announcing  the  interesting 
news. 

The  Koh-i-Nur  was  till  recently  perhaps  the  most  valu- 
able, and  is  still  the  most  famous  diamond  in  the  world. 
Its  name  Koh-i-Nur,  or  the  Mountain  of  Light,  is  derived 
from  the  peculiar  shape  it  bore  for  many  centuries,  as 
can  be  seen  from  the  model  at  the  Tower,  before  it  was 
cut  down  to  form  the  present  brilliant,  which  is  now  in 
the  Queen's  crown.  Looked  at  sideways  the  model  shows 
that  the  stone  ran  up  into  a  peak,  and  to  those  who  lived 
within  sight  of  the  great  snow-clad  peaks  of  the  Hima- 
layas it  at  once  suggested  a  mountain  summit.      The 


THE  JEWEL  HOUSE  289 

diamond  was  originally  found  in  the  mines  of  Golconda 
in  the  Deccan,  and  belonged  to  the  King  of  Golconda. 
By  various  intrigues  and  stratagems  Shah  Jehan,  the 
Emperor  of  Delhi,  obtained  possession  of  the  stone  in 
about  A.D.  1650,  and  it  was  first  seen  by  a  European,  the 
French  traveller  Tavernier,  in  1665,  when  in  possession 
of  the  Emperor  Aurungzebe.  It  remained  at  Delhi  till 
A.D.  1739,  when  it  was  annexed  by  Nadir  Shah  King  of 
Persia,  with  a  touch  of  rugged  humour.  Mahomed  Shah 
was  King  of  Delhi  when  Nadir  Shah  conquered  it,  and 
diligent  search  was  made  for  the  Koh-i-Nur,  the  exist- 
ence of  which  was  well  known. 

At  length  through  the  indiscretion  of  a  lady  it  became 
known  that  Mahomed  Shah  always  wore  it,  night  and 
day,  concealed  in  the  folds  of  his  turban.^  The  rest  was 
easy.  Nadir  Shah  sent  a  cordial  invitation  to  his  van- 
quished foe,  to  come  and  dine  with  him.  Having  well 
dined,  and  possibly  in  spite  of  the  prophet  looked  upon 
the  v\rine  when  it  was  red,  Nadir  Shah  with  great  cordiaUty 
suggested  that,  as  was  customary  amongst  equals,  they 
should  exchange  turbans.  Coming  from  the  victor  to 
the  vanquished  this  genial  invitation  had  perforce  to  be 
accepted,  and  wdth  such  good  grace  as  he  could  command 
Mahomed  Shah  handed  his  turban  to  his  host.  So 
passed  the  Koh-i-Nur  to  Nadir  Shah. 

That  monarch  in  due  course  returned  to  his  own 
country  bearing  the  diamond  with  him ;  and  with  him 
too  he  took  the  Timur  ruby,  which  had  been  found 
set  in  the  Peacock  Throne  at  Delhi.  These  two  great 
stones,  which  had  already  travelled  together  through 
many  monarchs'  hands,  were  destined  to  continue  their 
association  down  to  the  present  day. 

When  Nadir  Shah  was  murdered  one  of  his  body- 
guard, an  Afghan  named  Ahmed  Shah,  stole  the 
Koh-i-Nur,  and  also  the  Timur  ruby,  and  on  the  latter 
engraved  his  name.  He  fled  to  Afghanistan,  where 
eventually  he  became  King,  and  founded  the  Durani 
dynasty.  In  1772  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Taimur 
Shah,  and  both  stones  passed  to  him.    They  next  came 


t^  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

to  Shah  Suja,  who  fled  as  a  refugee  to  Lahore,  and  placed 
himself  under  the  protection  of  the  Maharajah  Runjeet 
Singh.  A  fugitive  with  two  such  stones  in  his  possession 
was  a  noble  prize,  and  the  Maharajah  gladly  gave  asylum 
to  the  unhappy  monarch — but  annexed  the  jewels. 

The  Hon.  Emily  Eden,  sister  of  Lord  Auckland,  saw 
the  Timur  ruby,  and  probably  the  Koh-i-Nur,  at  Lahore 
in  1838-39;  and  ten  years  later  both  jewels  fell  to  the 
British  by  right  of  conquest.  They  were  not,  however, 
State  property,  but  were  the  booty  of  the  Honourable 
East  India  Company,  that  great  trading  corporation 
which  gradually  conquered,  and  governed  India  for 
centuries.  Here,  temporarily,  the  Koh-i-Nur  and  the 
Timur  ruby  parted  company,  for  whereas  the  former 
was  sent  under  special  precautions  in  charge  of  a  British 
officer,  Major  Macheson,  as  a  present  to  Queen  Victoria, 
the  latter  travelled  unhonoured  and  unrecognized 
amongst  other  exhibits — a  girdle,  horse  furniture,  and 
State  robes — to  the  Great  Exhibition  of  1851,  only  as 
a  sample  of  Indian  jewellery.  The  two  stones  met  again, 
however,  before  long  at  Buckingham  Palace,  and  again 
both  are  in  the  possession  of  the  same  Sovereign,  the 
King  of  England  and  Emperor  of  India. 

The  model  of  the  Koh-i-Nur  as  it  was  when  taken  by 
the  British,  is  to  be  seen  at  the  Tower  of  London,  and  as 
may  be  seen  is  set  in  an  armlet  with  a  lesser  diamond 
on  each  side.  The  setting  is  the  original  one,  the  beauti- 
ful enamel  work  on  the  back  being  shown  by  means  of  a 
looking-glass.  The  tassels  of  the  armlet  end  with  large 
pearls,  each  surmounted  by  a  ruby,  all  of  considerable 
value,  but  quite  ecHpsed  by  the  glory  of  the  great  stone. 

When  presented  to  Queen  Victoria  the  Koh-i-Nur  was 
valued  at  ^140,000,  and  both  before  and  since  has  been 
through  many  vicissitudes  at  the  hands  of  connoisseurs. 
When  in  the  possession  of  Shah  Jehan  it  was  uncut  and 
weighed  nearly  800  carats.  At  the  Emperor's  order  it  was 
cut  by  a  Venetian  named  Ortensio  Borgio,  but  as  the  cut- 
ting was  deemed  unsuccessful  Borgio  was  fined  Rs.  10,000 
(about  .^,'i,OQo),  and  was  fortunate  that  he  escaped  with 


THE  JEWEL   HOUSE  291 

his  life.  When  brought  to  Europe  the  Koh-i-Nur 
weighed  only  186^  carats.  Under  the  superintendence 
of  the  Prince  Consort,  it  was  again  cut  by  Messrs.  Coster 
of  Amsterdam  into  the  form  of  a  regular  briUiant. 
After  this  cutting  the  stone  only  weighed  106 J  carats, 
and  in  that  form  it  now  forms  the  centre  ornament  in 
Queen  Mary's  crown.  It  was,  and  is,  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  valuable  diamonds  in  the  world,  as  well  as  of 
intense  historic  interest.  It  has,  however,  in  recent 
years  been  eclipsed  both  in  size  and  value  by  a  new  stone, 
which  only  saw  the  light  of  day  some  years  after  the 
Boer  War  of  1899-02.  This  enormous  stone  is  known 
as  the  Star  of  Africa. 

The  Star  of  Africa,  or  as  it  was  first  known  the 
"  CuUinan  diamond,"  was  when  discovered  of  enormous 
size,  and  looked  to  the  uninitiated  hke  a  large  irregular 
piece  of  rock  salt.  The  story  goes  that  CulHnan,  who 
was  manager  of  a  diamond  mine  in  South  Africa,  or  one 
of  his  assistants,  whilst  taking  a  party  of  friends  round 
the  mines,  noticed  a  small  white  point  sticking  out  of 
the  blue  in  one  of  the  galleries.  More  to  interest  the 
visitors  than  anything,  a  pocket  knife  was  produced  viith 
a  view  to  digging  out  the  small  stone.  But  as  they 
cleared  away  the  blue  round  it,  it  was  found  larger  than 
expected.  With  some  assistance  was  eventually  extracted 
the  enormous  stone,  a  model  of  which,  as  then  first  seen, 
is  now  at  the  Tower. 

The  news  of  this  great  discovery  naturally  spread 
over  the  whole  world,  and  extraordinary  precautions  had 
to  be  taken  to  guard  it,  and  to  send  it  to  Europe.  The 
story  is  that  the  diamond  was  sent  home  as  an  ordinary 
parcel  dropped  into  a  post-box  in  Johannesburg,  whilst 
a  dummy  parcel  heavily  ensured,  and  guarded  with 
many  precautions,  was  sent  off  with  well  disguised 
ostentation.  There  was  some  debate  as  to  what  was  to 
be  done  with  the  stone,  or  where  to  find  a  market,  for 
few  people  require,  or  can  afford  to  buy,  a  diamond 
half  as  large  as  a  Roman  brick.  After  some  discussion 
the   Union   of   South    Africa   determined    lo    buy   the 


292  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

diamond,  and  to  present  it  to  the  Sovereign,  to  form  in 
perpetuum  a  portion  of  the  regaha  of  the  Empire.  The 
inspiration  was  a  particularly  happy  one,  coming  as  it 
did  out  of  the  dead  embers  of  the  Boer  War. 

The  rough  diamond  was  taken  to  Amsterdam  and 
there  cut.  The  instrument  used  to  first  spht  the  stone 
into  its  present  four  parts  is  somewhat  of  a  revelation. 
The  chisel  which  is  of  steel,  is  of  the  shape  shown  below, 
but  double  that  size.  Two  dents  will  be  noticed  in  the 
edge,  caused  by  the  diamond  when  hit.  The  exact 
minute,  hour,  and  date  of  the  stroke  are  given. ^ 


The  hammer  used  is  also  steel,  13^-  inches  long,  and 
cylindrical  in  shape,  and  weighs  2  lbs.  The  diagram  shows 
the  hammer  at  one  quarter  its  real  size. 

When  the  Star  of  Africa  was  found  it  weighed 
3025  carats,  or  roughly  li  lbs.  It  was  4  inches  long,  ^\ 
inches  broad,  and  2+  inches  deep,  shaped  like  a  small 
rough  brick.  It  was  cut  into  four  major  parts,  and 
several  small  portions.  The  largest  portion  as  before 
described,  is  set  very  ingeniously  at  the  head  of  the 
King's  sceptre,  the  device  enabling  the  stone  to  be  re- 
moved, if  required,  and  worn  as  a  pendant.  This  portion 
weighs  5i6.\  carats,  and  measures  2f^  inches  in  length, 
and  I  ]  f  inches  in  breadth  ;  it  is  pear  shaped.  The  next 
largest  portion  is  set  in  the  band  of  the  King's  State 
Crown.  It  is  nearly  round  in  shape,  being  i]-;}  inches 
in  length,  and  \\\^  inches  in  breadth,  and  weighs  3095^,: 
carats.  These  two  great  stones  are  beautifully  cut,  and 
are  of  great  brilliancy.    Two  more  large  portions  of  the 

>  '^  CuUinan,"  tut  al  j.Il  on  f'ebruaiy  loth,  1908. 


THE  JEWEL  HOUSE  293 

Star  of  Africa  are  set,  one  in  the  band  of  the  Queen's 
Crown,  and  the  other  in  the  cross  pate  on  top  of  the 
same  ;   these  weigh  respectively  96  and  64  carats. 

At  the  back  of  the  King's  State  Crown,  in  the  band, 
is  a  large  sapphire  which  in  Queen  Victoria's  Crown 
held  the  prominent  position  now  occupied  by  the  Star 
of  Africa.  This  stone,  known  as  the  Stuart  sapphire,  is 
1+  inches  in  length  and  i  inch  in  width,  and  was  be- 
queathed, amongst  other  Stuart  treasures,  to  George  HI 
by  Cardinal  York.  It  was  worn  in  his  crown  by  Charles  H, 
but  being  the  personal  property  of  the  Stuarts,  appar- 
ently was  bequeathed,  or  sold  away,  till  it  came  into  the 
possession  of  Cardinal  York.  At  one  end  the  stone  is 
pierced,  suggesting,  as  in  the  case  of  other  jewels,  an 
Oriental  origin.  It  is  probably,  apart  from  its  historic 
interest,  not  of  great  value,  having  one  very  marked  flaw 
in  it,  whilst  the  right-hand  upper  part  is  clouded. 

A  very  fine  sapphire  which,  though  not  so  large,  is 
both  historically  and  intrinsically  of  greater  value  than 
the  Stuart  sapphire,  is  the  sapphire  of  St.  Edward. 
This  stone  is  of  very  line  colour  and  without  flaw,  and  is 
set  clear  in  the  cross-pate  on  top  of  the  King's  State 
Crown.  According  to  tradition  this  sapphire  was  set  in 
the  ring  of  Edward  the  Confessor,  and  was  buried  with 
him  in  his  shrine  at  Westminster.  It  was  reputed  to 
have  the  miraculous  power  of  curing  the  cramp,  which 
power  the  owner  could  use  at  will.  How  it  was  extracted 
from  Edward  the  Confessor's  tomb  history  does  not 
relate,  but  to  an  expert  it  is  apparent  that  the  stone 
was  recut,  in  its  present  form  of  a  "  rose  "  sapphire, 
probably  in  the  time  of  Charles  II. 

Under  the  arch  of  the  King's  State  Crown  are  pendant 
four  very  fine  pearls.  These  magnificent  and  priceless 
gems  were  the  ear-rings  of  Queen  Elizabeth ;  a  Queen 
as  we  know  from  her  pictures  very  partial  to  pearls,  and 
doubtless  a  good  judge  of  them.  They  are  as  large  as 
small  bird's  eggs. 

Henry  III,  it  would  appear,  appointed  the  first  ofiicial 
Keeper  of  the  Regalia  in   12 16,  but   the  regalia  never- 


294  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

theless  seems  to  have  travelled  backwards  and  forwards 
from  the  Tower  to  Westminster,  on  several  occasions, 
and  sometimes  remained  at  Westminster  for  prolonged 
periods.  Very  possibly  this  happened  after  the  corona- 
tions of  various  kings  ;  the  Regalia  would  on  these 
occasions  have  been  taken  from  the  Tower  to  West- 
minster for  the  ceremony,  and  may  have  subsequently 
remained  there  for  longer  or  shorter  periods  ;  the 
ecclesiastical  authorities  very  possibly  thus  gently  assert- 
ing their  ancient  rights  to  have  the  custody  of  these 
emblems  of  royalty.  It  was  not  apparently  till  the 
reign  of  Henry  VIII  that  the  Regaha  was  permanently 
located  at  the  Tower,  where  it  remains  to  this  day. 

The  Keeper  of  the  Regaha  in  ancient  days  was  a 
personage  of  considerable  dignity  and  importance,  and 
in  times  when  honesty  was  less  matured  than  now,  had 
to  be  of  outstanding  integrity  and  loyalty.  Indeed  so 
carefully  were  his  rights  and  privileges  guarded,  that  he 
alone  was  entitled  to  place  the  crown  on  the  King's 
head,  whenever  on  any  occasion  of  State  he  wore  it, 
and  likewise  he  alone  was  allowed  to  take  it  off  after- 
wards. Thus  was  emphasized  the  Keeper's  sole  responsi- 
bihty  for  the  crown,  to  the  extent  of  not  allowing  it 
out  of  his  personal  custody,  except  when  it  was  actually 
on  the  King's  head.  The  Keeper  was  also  by  virtue  of 
his  ofhce  a  Privy  Councillor,  ranked  as  a  Baron,  and  had 
his  place  reserved  at  the  Baron's  table.  The  title  borne 
by  this  ofhcer  has  been  changed  from  time  to  time.  In 
some  reigns  it  was  "  Master  and  Treasurer  of  the  Jewel 
House,"  in  others  "  Keeper  of  the  Crown  Jewels  "  ; 
sometimes  it  has  been  "  Keeper  of  the  Regaha,"  and  at 
others,  as  now,  "  Keeper  of  the  Jewel  House." 

Amongst  the  earlier  Keepers  are  to  be  found  the 
Bishop  of  Carlisle  in  1230;  John  de  Flete  in  1337,  with 
the  wages  of  twelve  pence  per  diem ;  and  Robert  de 
Mildenhall  in  1347;  whilst  Henry  VIII  appointed 
Thomas  Cromwell,  Earl  of  Essex.  During  the  reign  of 
Edward  VI,  and  through  the  nine  days'  assumption  of 
Lady  Jane  Grey,  the  Marquis  of  Winchester  was  Keeper 


THE  JEWEL  HOUSE  295 

of  the  Regalia,  for  he  it  was  who  handed  over  the  royal 
jewels  to  that  unhappy  lady. 

The  Keeper  was  at  that  time  entitled  the  Master  and 
Treasurer  of  the  Jewel  House,  and  besides  the  care  of  the 
regalia  in  the  Tower,  he  had  the  custody  and  purchasing 
of  the  royal  plate.  He  also  had  the  furnishing  of  plate  to 
ambassadors  and  the  great  officers  of  State,  and  appointed 
the  King's  jewellers.  Accommodation  was  reserved  for 
him  in  all  the  King's  houses,  and  conveyance  was  supplied 
for  his  own  household  and  servants,  as  well  as  for  the 
Crown  Jewels  and  plate,  whenever  the  Court  moved 
from  one  place  to  another.  The  salary  of  the  appoint- 
ment was  only  ^50  per  annum,  but  there  were  very 
valuable  perquisites  attached  to  it.  Thus  the  Earl  of 
Essex  received  ^£300  a  year  as  his  share  of  the  New 
Year's  gift  money;  and  about  another  ;^300  a  year  came 
to  him  as  a  fee  for  carrying  gifts  to  ambassadors  1  Also 
small  presents  sent  to  the  King  were  his  perquisite  ;  as 
well  as  the  purses  wherein  the  lords  presented  their  gold. 
These  purses  were  of  fine  workmanship,  and  probably 
studded  with  precious  stones,  for  they  were  valued  at 
from  ^30  to  ^40  each.i 

His  table  was  also  supplied  free,  the  allowance  of  food 
being  fourteen  dishes ;  with  beer,  wines,  and  other  liquid 
refreshment  at  his  pleasure.  Plate  was  allowed  him  at 
the  rate  of  twenty-eight  ounces  of  silver  gilt  yearly. 
When  not  living  free,  he  was  allowed  thirty-eight 
shillings  per  diem  table  money  in  lieu.  These  and 
other  privileges,  emoluments,  and  perquisites  were  en- 
joyed also  by  Sir  Henry  Mildmay,  who  was  Master  and 
Treasurer  of  the  Jewel  House  during  the  interregnum. 
On  the  restoration  of  Charles  H  Sir  Henry  was,  however, 
attainted  for  high  treason,  and  Sir  Gilbert  Talbot  was 
appointed  in  his  place,  with  the  historic  Talbot  Edwards 
as  his  Deputy.  The  old  emoluments  of  the  Master  and 
Treasurer  were  abolished  or  transferred  to  others,  but 
the  salary  of  Sir  Gilbert  Talbot  was  fixed  at  the  very 
handsome  figure  of  ^1,300  per  annum. 

1  Harleian  MSS. 


296  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

The  crowns  and  other  emblems  of  royalty  having 
been  broken  up  and  sold  by  the  Commonwealth,  it 
was  necessary  to  make  a  completely  new  set ;  this  work 
being  entrusted  to  the  Court  Jeweller,  Sir  Robert  Vyner. 
In  design  they  were  to  be  made  as  nearly  as  was  possible, 
with  the  aid  of  such  drawings  and  descriptions  as  existed, 
replicas  of  the  emblems  which  had  been  destroyed. 
These  are  they  which  are  nov/  to  be  seen  at  the  Tower. 

The  regalia,  which,  from  the  reign  of  Henry  III 
until  1644,  had  been  kept  in  the  Jewel  House,  a  two- 
storied  embattled  building  situated  to  the  south  of  the 
White  Tower,  and  which  has  now  disappeared,  was  in 
that  latter  year  placed  in  the  Martin  Tower.  Talbot 
Edwards,  the  Deputy  Keeper,  and  his  family  lived  in 
the  upper  storeys,  whilst  the  jewels,  in  an  iron  cage, 
were  kept  in  a  chamber  on  the  ground  floor. 

In  the  days  of  Charles  II  it  was  one  thing  to  be 
assigned  an  official  salary  of  ^1,300  a  year,  and  quite 
another  to  receive  it.  So  found  Sir  Gilbert  Talbot  ; 
but  on  his  representing  the  matter  it  was  agreed  by  the 
King  that  he  should  fill  this  void  in  his  purse  by  placing 
the  Crown  Jewels  on  exhibition,  and  charging  fees  to 
those  who  wished  to  see  them.  There  were  no  fixed 
fees,  Talbot  Edwards  the  Deputy  charging  what  seemed 
good  unto  him,  according  to  the  rank  and  quality  of  the 
visitors.  After  taking  his  own  percentage  out  of  the 
money  thus  received  the  rest  was  handed  on  to  Sir 
Gilbert  Talbot.  There  is  no  record  as  to  how  much  was 
annually  collected  in  this  vicarious  manner. 

When  Sir  Gilbert  Talbot  was  about  to  resign,  the 
profits  of  this  exhibition  were,  however,  considerable, 
for  he  was  offered  500  crowns  by  a  candidate  desirous  of 
succeeding  him.  Charles  II,  however,  who  undoubtedly 
had  a  kind  heart,  refused  to  allow  this,  and  appointed  old 
Talbot  Edwards  to  the  post,  as  a  reward  for  his  part  in 
saving  the  crown  from  Colonel  Blood's  marauding  effort. 
This  veteran  in  his  turn  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  known 
as  young  Talbot  Edwards,  a  soldier  who  had  served  with 
(iistinction  in  Flanders, 


THE  JEWEL   HOUSE  297 

From  the  time  of  Charles  H,  however,  the  office  of 
Keeper  of  the  Regaha  gradually  decreased  in  importance 
and  dignity  till  1795,  when  it  again  began  to  emerge 
from  obscurity.  Before  that  date  rarely  had  soldiers 
been  appointed,  but  with  the  appointment  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Charles  Wyndham  early  in  the  nineteenth  century 
a  new  era  was  commenced,  and  since  that  time  the  ap- 
pointment has  invariably  been  held  by  officers  of  the 
Army.i  At  first  Captains,  Majors,  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonels  held  the  post,  but  now  for  several  generations 
only  General  Officers  have  been  appointed. 

The  Keeper  has  an  official  residence  in  St.  Thomas' 
Tower  on  the  outer  ballium  wall  of  the  Tower,  and  is 
under  the  direct  orders  of  the  Sovereign,  issued  through 
the  Lord  Chamberlain.  He  is  a  member  of  His  Majesty's 
Household,  but  is  no  longer  a  Privy  Councillor,  or  a  Baron, 
by  virtue  of  his  office.  Formerly  the  appointment  was 
apparently  for  life,  but  now  it  is  for  five  years,  capable 
of  extension  at  His  Majesty's  pleasure. 

The  exhibition  of  the  regalia  is  entrusted  to  an  old 
soldier,  the  official  descendant  of  Talbot  Edwards. 
The  Exhibitor,  as  he  is  now  called,  for  the  past  eighteen 
years  has  been  an  old  colour-sergeant  of  the  Coldstream 
Guards,  Mr.  Charles  Webb,  who  resides  in  the  Martin 
Tower,  as  have  his  predecessors  for  many  centuries.  The 
Exhibitor  was  at  one  time  a  woman,  and  curiously  enough 
a  German.  This  was  Sarah  Wernher,  the  wife  or  v^dow 
of  the  Prince  Consort's  courier,  who  held  the  post  for 
upwards  of  thirty  years,  engaging  a  Warder  to  perform 
the  actual  duties. 

The  above  gives  a  brief  description  of  the  Jewel 
House,  and  the  more  interesting  portions  of  the  Royal 
Regalia,  all  of  which  can  be  seen  at  any  time  by  His 
Majesty's  loyal  subjects  at  the  Tower  of  London. ^  For 
those  more  interested  in  the  subject,  a  very  full  treatise 
is  being  compiled  by  Mr.  Cyril  Davenport  and  the  present 
author. 

*  See  Appendix  E,  ^  poj.  complete  list  see  Appendix, 


XIX 

THE  TOWER   IN  TRUST 

Queen  Victoria  and  the  Duke  of  Wellington — Salvln  the  architect 
— ^The  Victorian  restoration — Sir  John  Taylor — Lord  Redes- 
dale — Sir  Bryan  Milman — The  red  brick  barrack — Salvin's 
principles — Postern  Row — ^Tower  Green — The  Bulwark  Gate 
— The  I/ion  Tower — Outside  the  Tower — Liberties — A  noble 
inheritance. 

TO  Queen  Victoria  and  the  first  Duke  of 
Wellington  is  due  a  great  debt  of  gratitude 
by  all  English-speaking  people  for  initiating 
the  restoration  of  the  Tower  of  London.  It 
was  probably  the  Duke,  when  he  became  Constable,  who 
first  drew  Her  Majesty's  attention  to  the  crumbling 
monument  of  England's  great  and  glorious  past ;  where- 
upon aided  by  the  Prince  Consort  an  extensive  scheme 
was  inaugurated,  which  lasted  long  after  those  who 
planned  it  had  passed  away.  Fortunate  as  was  the 
inception,  equally  so  was  the  selection  of  the  architect, 
a  man  of  great  skill,  historic  understanding,  and  sym- 
pathy. As  long  as  the  Tower  stands,  with  it  will  be 
coupled  the  name  of  Salvin,  the  designer  and  part  executor 
of  the  Victorian  restoration.  The  old  fortress  had 
gradually  fallen  into  disrepair  and  disrepute  ;  mean  and 
shabby  structures  blocked  its  ways,  store-houses,  and 
record  offices,  usurped  the  decayed  palaces  of  kings.  The 
moat  was  filled  with  stagnant  unsavoury  slime,  in  which 
lay  the  filth  of  ages.  Inside,  the  Tower  was  a  hotbed  of 
disease,  overcrowded  and  unclean.  The  soldiers  of  the 
garrison  were  in  a  bad  state  of  health,  and  their  military 
efiFiciency  threatened  by  their  squalid  and  unsavoury 
surroundings.     It  was  this  matter  which  first  impressed 

298 


THE  TOWER  IN  TRUST  299 

the  Duke  of  Wellington,  and  as  an  initial  step  towards 
better  conditions  he  had  the  moat  drained,  filled  in  with 
six  feet  or  so  of  rubble,  and  made  into  a  parade  ground 
for  the  garrison.  When  the  old  armoury  was  burnt 
down  in  1843  new  and  sanitary  barracks,  architecttirally 
in  keeping  with  the  surroundings,  were  built  for  the 
garrison,  and  named  the  Waterloo  Barracks. 

Happily,  in  this  mid- Victorian  era,  those  in  close  con- 
nection with  the  Tower  in  their  official  position  were 
also  imbued  with  its  historic  interest.  Sir  John  Taylor, 
who  was  an  architectural  adviser  to  the  Board  of  Works, 
cordially  supported  and  assisted  in  the  great  revival. 
Fortunate  too  was  the  Board  in  having  on  its  staff  at  the 
time  Mr.  A.  B.  Mitford,  afterwards  Lord  Redesdale, 
who  placed  not  only  his  world-wide  knowledge  of  archi- 
tecture and  history  at  the  disposal  of  the  nation,  but 
brought  to  his  work  the  studied  enthusiasm  of  the 
expert.  Fortunately  too  within  the  Tower,  as  Major  and 
Resident  Governor,  was  Colonel,  afterwards  Sir  Bryan, 
Milman,  who  heartily  supported  and  took  an  active  part 
in  the  work  of  restoration. 

Under  Sir  John  Taylor's  directions,  and  the  designs 
of  Salvin,  the  half-ruined  walls  and  lesser  towers  were 
repaired  or  reconstructed,  so  that  gradually  the  old 
fortress  assumed  much  of  its  old  appearance.  The 
ancient  chapel  of  St.  John,  which  had  become  a  store- 
house for  records,  was  purged  and  repaired  and  again 
appears  much  as  it  did  when  knights  of  old  watched 
their  armour  all  night.  St.  Peter's  was  refloored  and  re- 
arranged, whilst  the  bones  of  the  mighty  dead  that  lay 
beneath  were  decently  disposed.  For  wellnigh  eighty 
years  the  work  has  been  going  gradually  on,  and  it  remains 
for  a  new  age  and  a  new  reign  to  complete  the  task  so 
ably  and  understandingly  commenced  by  Queen  Victoria. 
Nor  compared  with  what  has  been  accomplished  does 
much  remain. 

As  many  a  writer  and  every  observer  notices,  when 
he  passes  through  the  ancient  and  massive  archway 
beneath  the  Bloody  Tower,  one  is  confronted  by  a  high 


300  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

modern  red  brick  building,  which  blots  out  everything, 
even  the  great  White  Tov^er.  This  is  a  barrack  built 
not  very  long  ago  and  probably  with  admirable  intention. 
Salvin  laid  it  down  as  a  general  principle  that  whilst 
the  ballium  walls  and  towers  and  turrets  should  follow 
the  castellated  style  of  the  earhest  days,  the  buildings 
wdthin  the  fortress  might  most  suitably  be  in  the  Tudor 
style  as  is  the  King's  House,  and  he  mentions  the  old 
houses  in  the  city  of  Chester  as  a  model.  There  are 
without  doubt  red  brick  Tudor  houses  in  England, 
having  much  the  architectural  appearance  of  this 
barrack,  but  its  misfortune  here  is  that  it  is  too  big  for 
the  site,  and  blocks  a  fine  approach.  In  the  view  of  the 
Tower  dated  1597  there  are  certainly  buildings  shown 
on  this  same  site,  including  the  Cold  Harbour  Tower, 
which  might  very  fitly  be  rebuilt.  There  would  perhaps 
be  few  dissentient  voices  if  this  were  done  ;  thus  not 
only  removing  a  building  which  is  out  of  keeping  with 
its  surroundings,  but  opening  up  a  view  of  the  White 
Tower,  the  central  attraction  of  the  fortress,  in  a  very 
striking  manner. 

If  this  proposal  were  decided  upon,  it  is  probable 
other  sites  within  the  fortress  could  be  found  where 
barracks  in  the  Tudor  style  would  provide  the  accom- 
modation thus  lost.  An  alternative  has,  however,  been 
suggested,  which  is  to  build  the  required  accommodation 
outside  the  Tower  where  Postern  Row  now  stands.  This 
is  a  somewhat  mean  row  of  houses,  which  probably 
could  be  acquired  at  no  great  cost,  and  in  their  place 
could  be  erected  barracks  architecturally  in  keeping  with 
the  Tower. 

Tower  Green  of  historic  fame  has  within  the  last  few 
generations  been  paved  over  with  cobble-stones,  and 
some  approve  of  this  innovation,  whilst  others  consider 
that  this  space  should  be  grassed  over  again,  and  a 
portion  of  it,  as  of  old,  made  into  the  Lieutenant's 
garden.  If  the  aim,  as  probably  it  is,  is  to  conserve  as 
far  as  possible  ancient  traditions,  then  it  would  seem 
that  Tower  Green  should  become  a  green  again. 


THE  TOWER  IN  TRUST  301 

Before  the  war,  plans  were  being  matured  for  making 
a  somewhat  more  dignified  entrance  to  the  Tower  than 
is  afforded  by  a  wooden  pahsade.  It  may  be  assumed 
that  in  due  course  these  plans  will  be  revived,  and  that 
a  replica  of  the  old  Bulwark  Gate,  where  prisoners  were 
handed  over  to  the  Sheriffs  for  execution,  may  be  erected 
in  its  place.  There  is  a  proposal  too  that  the  old  Lion 
Tower,  between  the  Bulwark  Gate  and  the  Middle 
Tower,  should  be  re-erected,  and  the  circular  ditch 
round  the  western  side  of  the  Middle  Tower  again 
excavated.  These  works  would  bring  back  the  entrance 
to  the  Tower  to  the  condition  and  appearance  it  bore 
in  the  plan  of  1597. 

It  has  been  suggested  by  one  authority  that  historic 
rooms  like  the  Council  Chamber  in  the  "  King's  House  " 
and  the  oratory  in  St.  Thomas'  Tower,  should  be  restored 
to  their  exact  former  condition  and  furnished  as  they 
were  at  their  most  historic  periods,  and  that  they  should 
thus  be  maintained  in  ferfetuum.  Some  too  are  in  favour 
of  building  free  quarters  for  a  certain  number  of  the 
Warders  outside  the  Tower  ;  thus  not  only  giving  them 
better  accommodation  than  they  enjoy  at  present  in 
mediaeval  towers  and  gate-houses,  but  enlarging  the 
opportunities  of  inspection  to  those  interested  in  ancient 
buildings. 

Outside  the  boundary  of  the  Tower  Liberties,  to  the 
west,  stands  a  massive  square  block  of  brick  warehouses, 
which  not  only  completely  overshadows  the  Tower,  but 
shuts  off  the  ancient  and  very  interesting  church  of 
All  Hallows  Barking.  If  this  block  of  warehouses  were 
removed,  by  the  courtesy  and  kindly  consent  of  the 
owners,  the  surroundings  of  the  Tower  would  be  greatly 
improved.  Possibly  this  project  may  form  a  portion  of 
the  general  scheme  for  the  improvement  and  beautifying 
of  the  capital  of  the  Empire  ;  and  assuredly  nowhere 
could  such  an  improvement  be  more  suitably  effected 
than  in  connection  with  London's  most  historic  monu- 
ment. It  has  further  been  suggested  that  the  site  thus 
cleared  might  be  used  for  erecting  a  plain  and  simple 


302  THE  TOWER   FROM  WITHIN 

colunan,  to  commemorate  for  all  time  the  heroism  of  the 
men  and  women  of  the  Empire  who  have  laid  down 
their  lives  in  the  Great  War,  fighting  the  same  great 
fight  for  freedom  which  has  been  the  English  watchword. 

In  the  course  of  ages,  old  ceremonies  and  customs  are 
liable  to  gradually  die  away  and  become  forgotten  ;  till 
a  periodical  awakening  occurs,  and  after  much  research 
they  are  restored.  The  rebuilding  of  walls  and  parapets 
and  turrets  gives  the  material  touch,  but  for  complete 
restoration  the  human  element  cannot  be  neglected.  A 
modern  policeman's  uniform,  for  instance,  is  not  much 
in  keeping  with  the  surroundings,  and  as  police  are 
necessary  it  would  in  no  way  detract  from  their  value 
if  they  were  dressed  as  Yeomen  Warders  whilst  on  duty 
in  the  Tower. 

The  Tower  of  London  is  a  noble  inheritance,  built 
with  the  stone  of  ages  and  watered  with  the  blood  of 
England's  noblest  sons,  and  daughters.  Monarchs  of  old 
built  it,  and  dying  passed  on  their  heritage  ;  sorrow  and 
mourning  bowed  it  low  ;  decay  and  neglect  laid  their 
heavy  hand  on  it  ;  till  there  came  the  day  of  a  great 
Queen,  and  the  Tower  raised  again  her  hoary  head. 
Kings  may  come  and  kings  may  go,  but  the  people  of 
England  die  not.  The  Tower  is  their  inheritance,  the 
trust  of  ages,  and  them  it  behoves,  loyally  under  their 
Sovereign,  to  continue  to  maintain  the  old  fortress  with 
its  customs  and  ceremonies,  as  they  have  been  handed 
down  through  the  long  centuries. 


Si    <   H 


APPENDIX   A 

CONSTABLES   OF   THE   TOWER 

FROM    THE    REIGN     OF    WILLIAM    THE    CONQUEROR   TO   THE 
REIGN    OF    GEORGE    V 

1.  Geoffrey  de  Mandevillc,  appointed  by  William  the  Con- 

queror, about  1078. 

2.  William   de  Mandeville,   son  of  above,   in   the  reigns  of 

William  II  and  Henry  I. 

3.  Geoffrey  de  Mandeville,  Earl  of  Essex,  son  of  above,  in  the 

reign  of  Stephen,  1140.    Resigned  after  three  years. 
(There  is  no  record  of  Constables  betw^een  11 43  and  115 3.) 

4.  Richard  de  Lacy,  in  the  reign  of  Stephen,  1153. 

5.  Garnerius  de  Isenei,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  II. 

6.  Thomas  a  Becket,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  the  reign 

of  Henry  II,  about  1162. 

7.  William    Longchamp,    Bishop    of    Ely,    in    the    reign    of 

Richard  I,  11 89. 

8.  Walter  de  Coutances,  Archbishop  of  Rouen,  in  the  reign 

of  Richard  I,  1192. 

9.  Roger  Fitz  Ren f red. 

ID.  Roger  de  la  Dane,  in  the  reign  of  King  John. 

11.  Geoffrey  de  Mandeville,  great  grandson  of  the  first  Con- 

stable, in  the  reign  of  King  John. 

12.  Eustace  de  GreinviUe,  in  the  reign  of  King  John. 

13.  Stephen  Langton,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  present  at 

the  signing  of  the  Great  Charter  by  King  John. 

14.  Walter  de  Verdun,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  HI. 

15.  Stephen  de  Segrave,  do.  do. 

16.  Hugh  de  Wyndlesorc,       do.  do. 

17.  Randulph,  Bishop  of  Norwich,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  Hi. 

18.  John  de  Boville,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  HI. 

19.  Thomas  de  Blunvill,  do.  do. 

20.  Thomas  Fitz  Archer,        do.  do. 

21.  Ralph  de  Gatel,  do.  do. 

22.  Hubert  de  Burgh,  a  distinguished  soldier  and  statesman, 

1232,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  HI. 

303 


304  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

23.  W.  de  St.  Edmund,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III. 

24.  Geoffrey  de  Crancumb,    do.  do. 

25.  Hugh  Giffard,  1236,  do.  do. 

26.  William,    Archbishop    of    Canterbury,    and    Bertram    de 

Crioyl,  in  joint  charge,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  HI. 

27.  Peter  de  Vallibus,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III. 

28.  John  de  Plessitus,  do.  do. 

29.  Peter  de  Blund,  do.  do. 

30.  Aymon  Thorimberg,         do.  do. 

31.  Imbert  Pugeys,  do.  do. 

32.  Richard  de  Culworth,       do.  do. 

33.  Richard  de  Tilbury,  do.  do. 

34.  Hugh  de  Bigod,  Earl  of  Norfolk,   1258,  in  the  reign  of 

Henry  III. 

35.  John  Mansel,  1261,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III. 

36.  Hugh  leDespenser,  1262,  do.  do. 

37.  Roger  deLeyburn,  1264,  do.  do. 

38.  Hugh  FitzOtho,  1264,      do.  do. 

39.  Hugh  Walerand,  John  de  la  Lind,  jointly,   1265,  in  the 

reign  of  Henry  HI. 

40.  John  de  la  Lind,  1265,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  HI. 

41.  Alan  la  Zouch  had  also  the  custody  of  the  city  as  well  as  the 

Tower,  1266,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  HI. 

42.  Thomas  de  Ippegrave,  1 267,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III. 

43.  Stephen  deEddeviUe,  1267,    do.  do. 

44.  Hugh  FitzOtho,  1268,  do.  do.^ 

45.  Walter,  Archbishop  of  York,  1272,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I. 

46.  John  de  Burgh,  1273,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I. 

47.  Philip  Basset,  1273,  do.  do. 

48.  Anthony  of  Bek,  Bishop  of  Durham,  1274,  in  the  reign  of 

Edward  I. 

49.  Ranulph  de  Dacre,  1283,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I. 

50.  Ralph  de  Sandwich,  1286,  do.  do. 

51.  Ralph  de  Berners,  1289,  do.  do. 

52.  Ralph  de  Sandwich  II,  1289,       do.  do. 

53.  John  de  Crumwell,  1289,  do.  do. 

54.  Guy  Frere,  1320,  do.  Edward  II 

55.  Roger  de  Sywnnertcn,  1321,        do.  do. 

56.  Stephen  de  Segrave,  1322,  do.  do. 

57.  Stapleton,  Bishop  of  Exeter,  1323,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  II. 

*  It  will  be  noted  that  no  less  than  thirty  Constables  were  appointed 
during  the  fifty-six  years  of  the  reign  of  Henry  III.  • 


APPENDICES  305 

58.  John  de  Weston,  1323,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  II. 

59.  John  de  Gisors,  1326,                  do.  do. 

60.  Thomas  de  Wake,  1326,             do.  do. 

61.  Richard  de  Bretaigne,  1326,       do.  do. 

62.  Maurice  de  Berkeley,  1327,        do.  Edward  III 

63.  WiUiam  La  Zouche,  1327,          do.  do. 

64.  John  de  Crumwell,  1329,            do.  do. 

65.  WilHam  de  Monte  Acuto,  1335,  do.  do. 

66.  Nicholas  de  la  Beche,  1335,       do.  do. 

67.  Robert  de  Datton,  1341,            do.  do. 

68.  John  Darcy,  1346,                       do.  do. 

69.  John  Darcy,  son  of  above,  1347,  do.  do. 

70.  Bartholomew  deBurghersh,  1355,  do. 

71.  Robert  de  Morley,  1355,            do.  *          do. 

72.  John  de  Beauchamp,  1360,         do.  do. 

73.  Richard  de  la  Vache,  1361          do.  do. 

74.  Alan   Buxhill,    1365,    in   the   reigns   of   Edward   III    and 

Richard  II. 

75.  Sir  Thomas  Murrieux,  1 381,  in  the  reign  of  Richard  II. 

76.  Edward,  Earl  of  Rutland,  1 391,      do.  do. 

77.  Ralph  de  Nevill,  1397,  do.  do. 

78.  Edward,  Duke  of  Albemarle,  1397,  do.  do. 

79.  Thomas  de  Rempston,  1397,  was  drowned  whilst  passing 

under  London  Bridge,  in  the  reign  of  Richard  II. 

80.  Edward,  Duke  of  York,  1407,  killed  at  the  battle  of  Agin- 

court,  in  the  reigns  of  Richard  II  and  Henry  IV. 

81.  Robert  de  Morley,  141 3,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  V. 

82.  John  Dabrichcourt,  141 3,  do.  do. 

83.  SirWilliamBourghchier,  Kt.,  1415,  do. 

84.  Sir  Roger  Aston,  Kt.,  1420,         do.  do. 

85.  John   Holland,    Duke   of   Exeter,    1446,    in   the   reign   of 

Henry  VI. 

86.  James  Fienes,  Lord  Say,  1446,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VI. 

87.  John,  Lord  Tiptoft,  Earl  of  Worcester,  1461,  in  the  reign 

of  Edward  \V . 

88.  John,  Lord  Dudley,  1473,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  IV. 

89.  Richard,  Lord  Dacre,  1473,  do.  do. 

90.  John  Howard,  Lord  Howard,  1478,  do. 

91.  Marquis  of  Dorset,  do.  do. 

92.  Sir  Robert  Brackenbury,  1483,  killed  at  the  battle  of  Bos- 

worth  Field,  in  the  reign  of  Richard  HI. 

93.  John  de  Vere,  Earl  of  Oxford,  1485,  also  Keeper  of  the 

Lions  at  the  Tower,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VII. 


3o6  THE  TOWER  EROM  WITHIN 

94.  Sir  Thomas  Lovel,  1509,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

95.  Sir  William  Kingston,   Kt.,   1524,  attended  Queen  Anne 

Boleyn  to  the  scaffold,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

96.  Sir  John  Gage,  1540,  in  the  reigns  of  Henry  VIII,  Edward 

VI,  and  Queen  Mary. 

97.  Lord  Chnton,  1553,  during  Lady  Jane  Grey's  brief  reign. 

98.  Sir  Edward  Bray,  Kt.,  1556,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary. 

99.  Sir  Robert  Oxenbridge,  1557,  do.  do. 

(There   are   no   Constables  recorded  in  the  reign  of   Queen 
Elizabeth.) 

100.  Lord  Howard  de  Walden,  in  the  reign  of  James  I. 
loi.  Lord  Cottington,  1640-47,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  I,  when 
the  Earl  of  Stafford  was  executed. 

102.  General  Sir  Thomas  Fairfax,   1649,  under  the  Common- 

wealth. 

103.  Sir  John  Robinson,  1660,  appointed  by  Charles  II  on  his 

restoration,    it   is   not   clear   whether   as   Constable  or 

Lieutenant.     He  apparently  performed   the  duties  of 
both. 

104.  James,    Earl    of    Northampton,    1674,    iu    the    reign  of 

Charles  II. 

105.  Lord  Allington,  1679,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II. 

106.  George,  Lord  Dartmouth,  1684,  in  the  reigns  of  Charles  II 

and  James  II. 

107.  Lord  Lucas,  1688,  in  the  reign  of  Wilham  and  Mary. 

108.  Montague,    Earl    of    Abingdon,    1702,    in    the    reign    of 

Queen  Anne. 

109.  Lieut.-General  Algernon,   Earl  of  Essex,   4th  Dragoons, 

1707,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne. 
no.  Lieut.-General,  Richard,  Earl  of  Rivers,  3rd  Horse,  1710, 
in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne. 

111.  George,    Earl   of   Northampton,    1712,    in    the   reign   of 

Queen  Anne. 

112.  Charles,  Earl  of  CarHsle,  1715,  in  the  reign  of  George  I. 

113.  Henry,  Earl  of  Lincoln,  1724,  do.  do. 

114.  Lieut.-General,  Charles,  Duke  of  Bolton,  1724,  in  the  reign 

of  George  I. 

115.  Henry  Lord,   Viscount   Lonsdale,    1726,   in   the  reign  of 

George  I. 

116.  John,  Earl  of  Leicester,  1731,  in  the  reign  of  George  II. 

117.  General,  Charles,  Lord  CornwaUis,  1741-62,  in  the  reigns 

of  George  II  and  George  III. 


In  the 
reign  of 

Queen 
Victoria. 


APPENDICES  307 

118.  Lord  Berkeley,  1762-70,  in  the  reign  of  George  III. 

119.  Charles,  Earl  CornwaUis,  1770,    do.  do. 

120.  Lieut.-General  Lord  George  Henry  Lennox,  1783,  in  the 

reign  of  George  III. 

121.  General  the  Marquis  Cornwallis,    1785,   in   the  reign  of 

George  III. 

122.  General  Francis,  Earl  of  Moira  and  Marquis  of  Hastings, 

1806-26,  in  the  reigns  of  George  III  and  George  IV. 

123.  Field-Marshal  the  Duke  of  WeUington,   1826-52,  in  the 

reigns  of  George  IV,  William  IV,  and  Queen  Victoria. 

124.  Field-Marshal  Viscount  Combermere,  1852-65.  ^ 

125.  Field-Marshal  Sir  John  Fox  Burgoyne,  1865-71. 

126.  Field-Marshal  Sir  George  Pollock,  1871-72. 

127.  Field-Marshal  Sir  William  Gomm,  1872-75. 

128.  Field-Marshal  Sir  Charles  Yorke,  1875-81. 

129.  General  Sir  Frederick  Williams,  1881. 

130.  General  Sir  Richard  Dacres,  1881-87. 

131.  Field-Marshal  Lord  Napier  of  Magdala,  1887-90. 

132.  General  Sir  Daniel  Lysons,  1890-98. 

133.  General  Sir  Frederick  Stephenson,  1 898-1 911,  in  the  reigns 

of  Queen  Victoria  and  Edward  VII. 

134.  Field-Marshal   Sir  Evelyn  Wood,   191 1,   in  the  reign  of 

George  V. 


APPENDIX   B 

LIEUTENANTS   OF  THE   TOWER 

1.  Giles  de  Oudenarde,  1274,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I.^ 

2.  Ralph  Bavant,  about  1331,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III. 

3.  Sir  Richard  Cholmondeley,  Kt.,    1513-34,    in  the  reign  of 

Henry  VIII. 

4.  Sir  Leonard  Skeffington,  Kt.,  1534,  introduced  the  "Scaven- 

ger's Daughter,"  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

5.  Sir  Edward  Walsingham,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

6.  Sir  William  Sidney,  do.  do. 

7.  Sir  A.  Knyvett,  Kt.,  1546,       do.  do. 

1  There  were  probably  Lieutenants  before  this  date,  but  no  records 
of  them  can  be  found. 


3o8  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

8.  Sir  John  Murcham,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI. 

9.  Sir  Arthur  Davey,  do.  do. 

10.  SirEdward  Warner,  Kt.,  1552,  do.  do. 

11.  Sir  Owen  Hopton,  Kt.,  1553,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary. 

12.  Sir  John  Brydges,  Kt.,   1553,  present  at  execution  of  Lady 

Jane  Grey,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary. 

13.  Sir  Thomas  Brydges,  Kt.,  1554,  brother  of  above,  in  the  reign 

of  Queen  Mary. 

14.  Sir  —  Bomfield,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary. 

15.  Sir  Robert  Oxenbridge,       do.  do. 

16.  Sir  Edward  Warner,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  EHzabeth. 

17.  Sir  Richard  Blount,   Kt.,   1558-64,  in  the  reign  of  Queen 

EHzabeth. 

18.  Sir  Francis  Jobson,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  EHzabeth. 

19.  Sir  Owen  Hopton,  1585,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  EHzabeth. 

20.  Sir  Michael  Blount,  Kt.,  1588-92  (son  of  Sir  Richard),  in  the 

reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth. 

21.  Sir  Drut(?)  Drury,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth. 

22.  Sir  Richard  Barkley,         do.  do. 

23.  Sir  John  Peyton,  1603,  in  the  reigns  of  Queen  Elizabeth  and 

James  I. 

24.  Sir  George  Harvey,  1603-05,  in  the  reign  of  James  I. 

25.  Sir  William  Waad,  1605-13,  do.  do. 

26.  Sir  Gervase  Helwyss,  161 3-1 5,         do.  do. 

27.  Sir  George  More,  1615-17,  do.  do. 

28.  Sir  AUan  Apsley,   Kt.  1617-30,  in  the  reigns  of  James  I  and 

Charles  I. 
(Interval  during  which  the  Gentleman  Porter  carried  on  the 
duties  of  the  Lieutenant.) 

29.  Sir  William  Balfour,  1631-41,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  I. 

30.  Colonel  Sir  Thomas  Lunsford,  1641,    do.  do. 

31.  Sir  John  Bivan,  do.  do. 

32.  Sir   John   Conyers,    1642,    Parliamentarian,  in  the  reign  of 

Charles  I. 

33.  Sir  Isaac  Pennington,  1643,  Parliamentarian,  in  the  reign  of 

Charles  I. 

(An  interval  of  17  years.) 

34.  Sir  John  Robinson,  1660-79  (^^^°  acted  as  Constable,  and  was 

Lord  Mayor  of  London,  1662-63),  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II. 

35.  Captain  Thomas  Cheek,   1679-85  (was  Lieutenant  in   1683 

when   the  Earl  of   Essex   was   murdered,   or   committed 
suicide),  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II. 


APPENDICES 


309 


36.  Sir  Edward  Hales,  1685-88,  in  the  reign  of  James  II. 

37.  Sir  Bevil  Skelton,  1688,  do.  do. 

(After  Sir  Bevil  Skelton  the  actual  appointment  of  a  separate 
Lieutenant  seems  to  have  been  in  abeyance  for  some  years.  In 
the  Tower  records  during  this  period  Lord  Lucas  is  shown  as 
both  Constable  and  Lieutenant,  and  Lieut.-Colonel  John  Fare- 
well is  shown  both  as  Lieutenant  and  Deputy-Lieutenant.) 

38.  Charles  Churchill,  Esq.,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne. 

39.  Brigadier-General  Cottingham,     do.  do. 

40.  Lieut.-General  William  Cadogan,   1709-15,  in  the  reign  of 

Queen  Anne  and  George  I. 

41.  Lieut.-General  Hatton  Compton,  1715-41,  in  the  reigns  of 

George  I  and  George  II. 

42.  Lord  Henry  Paulet,  1742-54,  in  the  reign  of  George  II. 

43.  Charles,  Marquis  of  Winchester,   1754-60,  in  the  reign   of 

George  II. 

44.  George  Paulet,  Esq.,  1760-63,  in  the  reign  of  George  III. 

45.  Lieut.-General  Vernon,  1763-18 10,  do.  do. 

46.  Lieut.-General  Loftus,  1810-1831,  in  the  reigns  of  George  III 

and  George  IV. 

47.  Colonel  George,  Earl  of  Munster,  1831-33,  in  the  reign  of 

William  IV. 

48.  Lieut.-General  Sullivan  Wood,   1833-185 1,  in  the  reigns  of 

William  IV  and  Queen  Victoria. 

49.  Major-General  Sir  G.  Bowles,  1851-76,  in  the  reign  of  Queen 

Victoria. 

50.  Lieut.-General  Charles  L.  Maitland,  1876-84,  in  the  reign  of 

Queen  Victoria. 

51.  Lieut.-General  Lord  Chelmsford,   1884-89,  in  the  reign  of 

Queen  Victoria. 

52.  Lieut.-General  Sir  George  Higginson,  1889-93,  in  the  reign 

of  Queen  Victoria. 

53.  Lieut.-General  Hugh   Rowlands,    1893-94,   in   the  reign  of 

Queen  Victoria. 

54.  Lieut.-General  John  Dunne,  1894-97,  in  the  reign  of  Queen 

Victoria. 

55.  Lieut.-General  Sir  Godfrey  Clerk,   1897-1900,  in  the  reign 

of  Queen  Victoria. 

56.  Lieut.-General  Sir  William  Stirling,  1900-02,  in  the  reigns  of 

Queen  Victoria  and  Edward  VII. 

57.  Lieut.-General  Lord  William  Seymour,  1902-05,  in  the  reign 

of  Edward  VII. 


310  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

58.  Lieut.-General  Sir  George  Luck,  1905-07,  in  the  reign  of 

Edward  VII. 

59.  Lieut.-General  Sir  Robert  MacGregor  Stewart,   1907-09,  in 

the  reign  of  Edward  VII. 

60.  Lieut.-General  Sir  Henry  Grant,  1909-12,  in  the  reigns  of 

Edward  VII  and  George  V. 

61.  Lieut.-General  the  Hon.  Sir  Frederick  Stop  ford,  191 2-1 7,  in 

the  reign  of  George  V. 

62.  General   Sir  Horace   Smith-Dorrien,   191 7,  in  the  reign  of 

George  V. 

63.  General  Sir  Ian  Hamilton,  1918,  in  the  reign  of  George  V. 


APPENDIX   C 

DEPUTY-LIEUTENANTS,  OR  LIEUTENANT-GOVERNORS, 
OF   THE    TOWER 

1.  Lieut.-Colonel  John  Farewell,  1 689-1 709  (this  officer  appears 

also  to  have  been  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  under  Lord 
Lucas),  in  the  reigns  of  Wilham  and  Mary,  and  Queen 
Anne. 

2.  Colonel  James  Pendlebury,  1709-15,  in  the  reigns  of  Queen 

Anne  and  George  I. 

3.  Colonel  Robert  D'Oyly,  1715-22,^  in  the  reign  of  George  I. 

4.  Colonel  Williamson,  1722-49,  in  the  reigns  of  George  I  and 

George  II. 

5.  Colonel  Richard  White,  1749-50,  in  the  reign  of  George  II. 

6.  Colonel    Charles    Rainsforth,    1750-78,1    in    the    reigns    of 

George  II  and  George  III. 

7.  Colonel  John  Gore,  1778-88,  in  the  reign  of  George  III. 

8.  Colonel  John  Gale,  1788-94,         do.  do. 

9.  Colonel  Yorke,  1 794-1 826,  in  the  reigns  of  George  III  and 

George  IV, 

10.  Colonel  Francis  H.  Doyle,  1826-39,  in  the  reigns  of  George  IV, 

William  IV,  and  Queen  Victoria. 

11.  Lieut.-Colonel  John  Gurwood,  1839-45,  in  the  reign  of  Queen 

Victoria. 

12.  Colonel  the  Hon.  G.   Cathcart,   1846-52,   in  the  reign   of 

Queen  Victoria. 

13.  Colonel  Lord  de  Ros,  1852. 

(After  Lord  de  Ros  there  have  been  no  Deputy-Lieutenants, 
or  Lieutenant-Governors.) 

1  Previously  Major  of  the  Tower. 


APPENDICES  311 

APPENDIX   D 

MAJORS   OF   THE   TOWER 

1.  Major  Thomas  Hawley,  1690-97,  in  the  reign  of  William  and 

Mary. 

2.  Major    Marmaduke    Soull,     1697-1709,    in    the    reigns    of 

WilHam  III  and  Queen  Anne, 

3.  Major  Robert  D'Oyly  (later  a  Deputy-Governor),   1709-15, 

in  the  reigns  of  Queen  Anne  and  George  I. 

4.  Major  Joseph  Mason,  1715-24,  in  the  reign  of  George  I. 

5.  Major  Richard  White,   1724-39,  in  the  reigns  of  George  I 

and  George  II. 
(There  is  a  break  here  of  ten  years,  during  which  possibly  the 
Deputy-Governor  performed  both  duties.) 

6.  Major  Charles  Rainsford  (later  a  Deputy-Governor),  1749-50, 

in  the  reign  of  George  II. 

7.  Major  Charles  H.  Colhns,  1750-71,  in  the  reigns  of  George  II 

and  George  III. 
(There  is  a  break  here  of  seven  years,  during  which  possibly  the 
Deputy-Governor  performed  both  duties.) 

8.  Major  John  Parr,  1778-82,  in  the  reign  of  George  HI. 

9.  Major  John  Shrimpton,  1782-88,        do.  do. 

10.  Major  Lloyd  Hill,  1788-93,  do.  do. 

11.  Colonel  Matthew^  Smith,  1793-18 12,  do.  do. 

12.  Lieut.-Colonel  Maclean,  181 2-16,        do.  do. 

73.  Major,  later  Colonel,  J.  H.  Elrington,  1816-57,  in  the  reigns  of 
George  HI,  George  IV,  William  IV,  and  Queen  Victoria. 

14.  Lieut.-Colonel   F.  C.  Whimper,    1857-70,    in   the   reign   of 

Queen  Victoria. 

15.  Colonel  (later  Lieut.-General)  Sir  G.  Bryan  Milman,  1870- 

1909,  in  the  reigns  of  Queen  Victoria  and  Edward  VII. 

16.  Major-General  H.  Pipon,  1909  (present  holder),  in  the  reign 

of  Edward  VIT.    Major  and  Resident-Governor. 


312  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 


APPENDIX  E 

KEEPERS   OF   THE    REGALIA^ 

1.  Abbot  and  Monks  of  Westminster,   1042-66,  in  the  reign  of 

Edward  the  Confessor. 

2.  First  official   Keeper  of  the  Regalia,   1216,  in  the  reign  of 

Henry  III. 

3.  Bishop  of  Carlisle,  1230,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III. 

4.  John  de  Flete,  1337,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  HI. 

5.  Robert  deMildenhall,  1347,    do.  do. 

6.  Thomas  Chitterne,  1418,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VI. 

7.  Thomas  Cromwell,  Earl  of  Essex,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

8.  Marquis  of  Winchester,  1553,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI. 

9.  Sir  Henry  Mildmay,  interregnum. 

ID.  Sir  Gilbert  Talbot,  1660,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II. 

11.  Talbot  Edwards,  Assistant  Keeper  in  the  reigns  of  Charles  II 

and  James  II,  died  1674. 

12.  Talbot  Edwards  (son  of  above),  died  1719,  in  the  reigns  of 

WiUiam  III  and  Queen  Anne. 
(No  recorded  names  of  Keepers  for  100  years.) 

13.  Lieut.-Colonel  Charles  Wyndham,   1850  (?)  to  1872,  in  the 

reign  of  Queen  Victoria. 

14.  Colonel  John  Cox  Cawler,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Victoria. 

15.  Captain  Arthur  John  Loftus,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Victoria. 

16.  Lieut.-General  George  Dean-Pitt,   1882-3,  in  the  reign  of 

Queen  Victoria. 

17.  Lieut.-General  Sir  Michael  Biddulph,  in  the  reign  of  Queen 

Victoria. 

18.  Lieut.-General  Sir  Frederick  Middleton,  to  1898,  in  the  reign 

of  Queen  Victoria. 

19.  General  Sir  Hugh  Gough,  from  1898  to  1909,  in  the  reigns 

of  Queen  Victoria  and  Edward  VII. 

20.  Lieut.-General  Sir  Robert  Low,  from  1909  to  1911,  in  the 

reigns  of  Edward  VII  and  George  V. 

21.  General  Sir  Arthur  Wynne,   1911   to  191 7,   in  the  reign  of 

George  V. 

22.  Major-General  Sir  George  Younghusband   (present  holder), 

1 91 7,  in  the  reign  of  George  V. 
1  Named  at  various  periods  "  Master  and  Treasurer  of  the  Jewel 
House,"  "  Keeper  of  the  Crown  Jewels,"  "  Keeper  of  the  Regalia," 
now  named  *'  Keeper  of  the  Jewel  House." 


APPENDICES  313 

APPENDIX   F 

LIST   OF   THE    REGALIA 

IN     rHE    KlilGN    OF    GKORG?:    V 

I.  Crowns,  Coronets,  and  Diadems  : — 

(i)  King  Edward  the  Confessor's  Crown. 

(2)  The  Imperial  State  Crown. 

(3)  The  Imperial  Indian  Crown. 

(4)  Crown  of  Queen  Mary  of  Modena. 

(5)  Crown  of  Queen  Mary,  Consort  of  King  George  V. 

(6)  Diadem  of  Queen  Mary  of  Modena. 

(7)  Crown  of  the  Prince  of  Wales. 

II.  Sceptres  and  Rods  : — 

(i)  The  King's  Royal  Sceptre, 

(2)  The  King's  Sceptre  with  the  Dove,  or  Rod  of  Equity. 

(3)  The  Queen's  Sceptre  with  the  Cross. 

(4)  The  Queen's  Sceptre  with  the  Ivory  Dove. 

(5)  James  I's  Sceptre  with  the  Dove. 

(6)  St.  Edward's  Staff. 

III.  Orbs:— 

(i)  The  King's  Orb. 
(2)  The  Queen's  Orb. 

IV.  Swords : — 

(i)  The  King's  Jewelled  State  Sword. 

(2)  The  King's  Sword  of  State. 

(3)  The  Sword  Spiritual. 

(4)  The  Sword  Temporal. 

(5)  Curtana,  or  the  Sword  of  Mercy. 

V.  Spurs  and  Bracelets  : — 

(i)  St.  George's  gold  spurs. 
(2)  Gold  bracelets. 


314  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 

VI.  Maces : — 

(i)  Charles  II. 

(2)  do. 

(3)  James  IT. 

(4)  do. 

(5)  William  and  M.axj. 

(6)  do. 

(7)  do. 

(8)  George  I. 

VII.  Ecclesiastical  Plate  : — 

(i)  The  Ampulla. 

(2)  The  Anointing  Spoon. 

(3)  The  Royal  Baptismal  Font. 

(4)  Alms  Dish. 

(5)  Flagon. 

VIII.  State  Trumpets  and  Banners  : — 

(i)  Fifteen  State  Trumpets. 
(2)  Twenty  Bannerets. 


IX.  Royal  Plate  :— 

(i)  Queen  Ehzabeth's  Salt -Cellar. 

(2)  King  Charles  IPs  Salt  Cellar.    (State  Cellar.) 


(3) 

do. 

(4) 

do. 

(5) 

do. 

(6) 

do. 

(7) 

do. 

(8) 

do. 

(9) 

do. 

(10) 

do. 

(II) 

do. 

(12) 

do. 

(13) 

do. 

(14)  Kmg 

Charles  IPs  Wine 

Fountain 

(15)  Twelve  Salt  Spoons. 

(16)  Two  Tankards  (George 

IVO. 

APPENDICES 


315 


X.  Other  Plate  and  Valuables  : — 

(i)  The  Maundy  Dish. 

(2)  King  George  IV's  Monde. 

(3)  Model  of  Koh-i-Nur  Diamond  with  original  setting. 

(4)  Model  of  Cullinan  Diamond  as  found. 

(5)  Steel    hammer   and    chisel,    used    in    cutting    the 

Cullinan  Diamond. 


XI.  Insignia  of  Orders  : — 


(0 

Order  of  the  Garter. 

(2) 

do.          Thistle. 

(3) 

do.          St.  Patrick. 

(4) 

Order  of  Merit  (Civil  and  Military). 

(5) 

Order  of  the  Bath. 

(6) 

do.          Star  of  India. 

(7) 

do.          St.  Michael  and  St.  George 

(8) 

do.          Indian  Empire. 

(9) 

Royal  Victorian  Order. 

(10) 

Order  of  the  British  Empire. 

(II) 

Imperial  Order  of  the  Crown  of  India. 

(12) 

Royal  Red  Cross. 

XII.  Decorations  for  Valour  : — 

(i)  Victoria  Cross  (Naval). 

(2)  Victoria  Cross  (Military). 

(3)  Distinguished  Service  Order  (Naval  and  Military). 

(4)  MiHtary  Cross  (Military). 

(5)  Distinguished  Service  Cross  (Naval). 

(6)  Conspicuous  Gallantry  Medal  (Naval). 

(7)  Distinguished  Conduct  Medal  (Military). 

(8)  Distinguished  Service  Medal  (Naval). 

(9)  Military  Medal  (Military). 


INDEX 


Abel,  Dr.  Thomas,  30 

Apsley,   Sir  Allan,   Lieutenant   of 

Tower,  64,  69,  178,  242,  253 
Aragon,  Katherine  of,  42 
Arden,  John,  225 
Arundel,  PhiHp  Howard,  Earl  of, 

27,67,  151,  153,252 
Askew,  Anne,  226,  227 

B 

Bailiff,  Thomas,  17,  18 
Bailly,  Charles,  28,  29,  67 
Bainbridge,  R.,  28 
Baldwin,  Sir  John,  125,  126 
Balmerino,     Arthur     Elphinstone, 

Lord,  86-91,  245,  255 
Bavant,     Ralph,     Lieutenant     of 

Tower,  63 
Becket,  Thomas  a,  Archbishop  of 

Canterbury  and  Constable  of 

Tower,  33,  55,  56 
Bedingfield,  Sir  Henry,  80 
Berkley,  Sir  Richard,  193 
Beresford,  Hannah,  237,  239,  248 
Blood,  Colonel,  37,  249,  278-280, 

287 
Blount,  Sir  Richard,  Lieutenant  of 

Tower,  29,  6"],  246 
Blount,  Sir  Michael,  Lieutenant  of 

Tower,  kf,  246 
Boleyn,  Anne — 

Burial  place  of,  24,  120,  143,  237, 

239 
Charges  against,  124-126 

Description  of,  121-123 


Boleyn,  Anne — 

Execution  of,  132-136 

Last  days  of,  131,  132 

Letter  to  Henry  VHI,  127-129 

Passed  through  Traitor's  Gate,  6, 

127 
And  Sir  Thomas  Wyat,  81 
Trial  of,  11,  130,  131 
Boleyn,    George,    Viscount    Roch- 
ford,  brother  to  Anne  Boleyn, 
37,  125,  140,  237 
Brackenbury,     Sir    Robert,     Con- 
stable of  Tower,   15,   16,  53, 
235 
Bridlington,  Prior  of,  29 
Bruce,  Rev.  J.  Bowes,  78 
Brydges,   Sir  John,  Lieutenant  of 

Tower,  66,  d"],  79,  153,  166 
Buhner,  Sir  John,  29,  30 
Bulmer,  Sir  Ralph,  29,  30 
Bulmer,  Sir  William,  29,  30 
Burgoyne,  Sir  John  Fox,  Constable 

of  Tower,  59,  60,  237,  249 
Burley,  Sir  Simon  de,  92 


Carew,  Sir  George,  170,  171 

Casement,  Roger,  215,  216 

Charles  I,  21,  232 

Charles  H,  181,  182,  245 

Cheek,  Captain  Tom,  Lieutenant 
of  Tower,  70,  214 

Cholmondeley,  Sir  Richard,  Lieu- 
tenant of  Tower,  65,  dd,  246 

Clarence,  George,  Duke  of,  38,  39 

Clarke,  Thomas,  30,  31 


317 


3i8 


THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 


Clinton,  Lord,  Constable  of  Tower, 
158 

Cobham,  Lord,  68,  207 

Coventry,  Sir  William,  39 

Cranmer,  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, 16,  17,  66,  134,  137, 
138,161 

Crespigny,  Sir  Claude  Champion 
de,  284 

Cromarty,   George,   Earl    of,    86, 

Cullinan  diamoiul  or  St;ir  of  Africa, 
291-293 

D 

Daniell,  John,  40 

Darnley,  Henry  Stuart,  Earl  of,  83, 

84 
Derwentwater,  Lord,  84,  85 
Devonshire,     Edward     Courtenay, 

Earl  of,  79 
Dighton,  John,  murderer  of  two 

young  Princes,  16 
Dorset,  Earl  of,  196 
Douglas,  Lady  Margaret,   83,   84, 

213 
Drake,  Sir  Francis,  191 
Draper,  Hugh,  41 
Dudley,  Lord  Guildford,  27,  66, 

151,  158,  159,  161,  163-165 
Dundas,  Major-General  J.  D.,  47 
Dunlop-Smith,  Lieutenant-Colonel 

Sir  John,  287,  288 
Dunraven,  Lord,  14 


Edward  I,  3,  236 

Edward  H,  43 

Edward  V,  15,  16 

Edward  VI,  43,  144-151,  157 

Edward     VH,     280,     284,      287 

Edwards,  Talbot,   248,   249,   253, 

278,  295-297 
Edwards,  Talbot,  Junior,  255,  279 
Eliot,  Sir  John,  21 


Elizabeth,  Queen — 

Clemency  to  Sir  John  Perrott, 

251 
Committed  to  Tower,  6"],  78-80 
Constrained  to  attend  Mass  in 

Chapel  of  St.  John,  235 
And  Earl  of  Essex,  190-201 
Enters  Tower  to  be  crowned,  81 
And  4th  Duke  of  Norfolk,  204, 

205 
And  Lady  Arabella  Stuart,  208 
Released  from  Tower,  80 
And  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  170-172 
Her  wrath  with  Lady  Katherine 

Grey,  82,  83 
Essex,  Earl  of,  19 
Essex,    Geoffrey    de    Mandeville, 

Earl   of,    third    Constable    of 

Tower,  52,  54,  214 
Essex,  Thomas  Cromwell,  Earl  of, 

127,  133,  214,  294 
Essex,  Robert  Devereux,  Earl  of — 
Commands  expedition  to  France, 

191,  192 
Committed  to  Tower,  196 
Disgrace  of,  193 
Early  days  of,  190 
Execution  of,  199-201 
Favoured  by  Queen   Elizabeth, 

190 
Forsakes  Irish  post  without  leave, 

192, 193 
Governor  of  Ireland,  192 
Imprisoned  in  Develin  Tower,  36 
Marriage  of,  191 
Plots  against   Queen   Elizabeth, 

194-196 
Quarrel    with    Lord    Grey    de 

Wilton,  206 
Trial  of,  196,  197 
Essex,  Arthur  Capel,  Earl  of,  14, 

70,  214,  215,  254 
Essex,  Frances  Howard,  Countess 

of,  later  Countess  of  Somerset, 

19-21,  215 
Exeter,  John  Holland,  4th  Duke  of, 

52,218 


INDEX 


319 


Fawkes,  Guy,  9,  69,  75,  228-230 
Felton,  John,  murderer  of  Duke  of 

Buckingham,  22,  231,  232 
Fisher,  Bishop  of  Rochester,  78 
Fitzgerald,  Thomas,  32 
Forest,    Miles,    murderer    of    two 

young  Princes,  15 
Fountains,  Abbot  of,  29,  30 
Foxley,  William,  251 
Franklin,  chemi«!t,  20,  2T 


Gage,     Sir     John,     Constable     of 

Tower,  33,  79,  80,  153 
Gardiner,    Bishop   of   Winchester, 

80, 153 
Gates,  Sir  John,  154,  236 
George  II,  86 
George  V,  94,  281,  287 
Gerard,  Father,  222-225 
Gerard,  Mr.,  late  American  Am- 
bassador in  Berlin,  215 
Grenfell,  Field-Marshal,  T.ord,  47 
Grey,  Lady  Jane — 
Execution  of,  165-168 
Imprisonment  of,  159-165 
liodged    in    Gaoler's    quarters, 

14,  27,  159-161 
Marriage  of,  151 
Passed  through  Traitor's  Gate,  6 
Reign  of,  158 
Relatives  of,  157,  158 
Trial  of,  161,  162 
Grey,  Lady  Katherine,  82,  83 
Grey  de   Wark,   Lord,    182,    184, 

185 
Grey  de  Wilton,  Lord,  34,  39,  47, 

205-208,  253 
Griffin,  Lord  Edward,  255 
Grove,  Edward,  103 
Gundulph,  Bishop  of  Rochester,  2, 

236 
Gurwood,  Colonel  John,  247 
Gyfford,  G.,  28 


H 

Hales,  Sir  Edward,  Lieutenant  of 

Tower,  70 
Harvey,  Sir  George,  Lieutenant  of 

Tower,  68,  175,  176 
Hatton,  Sir  Christopher,  17,  67 
Helwyss,  Sir  Gervase,  Lieutenant 

of  Tower,  19-2  T,  69,  230 
Henry  I,  43,  236 
Henry  II,  55,  56 
Henry  III,  3,  33,  42,  55,  57,  236, 

256,  274 
Henry  IV,  107 
Henry  V,  273,  274 
Henry  VI,  32,  36,  235,  274 
Henry  VII,  273 
Henry  VIII— 

And  Anne  Boleyn,  122-136 
Built  "  King's  House  "  at  Tower, 

53 
Confiscates  treasure  at  tomb  of 

Thomas  a  Becket,  56 
Fifth  marriage  of,  136 
Firm  believer  in  torture,  218,  227 
And  Katherine  Howard,  138-142 
Leniency  to  Anne  Askew,  227 
Restored  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula, 
236 
Henry    Prince    of    Wales,    son    of 

James  I,  175,  206,  262 
Heriot,  astronomer,  37 
Hertford,  Lord,  82 
Hilton,  Miss,  85 
Hopton,  Sir  Owen,  Lieutenant  of 

Tower,  18,  67 
Howard,  Katherine,  6,  12,  24,  120, 

136-141,  143 
Howard,  Lord  Thomas,  83 
Howard  de  Walden,  Thomas,  Lord, 
Constable  of  Tower,  197,  199 


J 

James  I,  75,  173,  176-178,  208,  209, 

275 
James  II,  23,  38,  182,  184 


320  THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 


Jeffreys,  Chief  Justice,  23,  24,  242, 

254 
Jervaulx,  Abbot  of,  29,  30 
John,  King,    57 
Johnson,  Otvvell,  140,  141 
JuUus  Caesar,  3 

K 

Kenmure,  Lord,  84,  85 

Kildare,  Earl  of,  32 

Kilmarnock,  WiUiam  Boyd,  Earl  of, 

86-91,245,255 
Kingston,  Sir  William,  Constable  c  f 

Tower,  130-133 
Knyvett,    Sir    A.,    Lieutenant    of 

Tower,  226,  227 
Koh-i-nur  diamond,  288-291 


Langton,  Stephen,  Archbishop  of 

Canterbury,      Constable      of 

Tower,  57 
Latimer,  Bishop  of  Worcester,  16, 

17,66 
Laud,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 

22,  231,  232, 245 
Lee,  Mrs.  Margaret,  130,  133-135 
LesUe,  John,  Bishop  of  Ross,  17 
Lodi,  Lieutenant,  215 
Longchamp,    WiUiam,    Bishop    of 

Ely,  Constable  of  Tower,  3,  57 
Lovat,  Simon,  Lord  Eraser  of,  10, 

47,  86-92,  245, 255 

M 

Mandeville,  Geoffrey  de,  first  Con- 
stable of  Tower,  48,  52,  54 

Mary,  Queen,  79,  80,  118,  151,  158, 
159,  163 

Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  83,  204,  205 

McLeod,  Lord,  86,  87 

Miagh,  T.,  26 

Milman,  Colonel  Sir  Bryan,  299 

Mills,  Mrs.,  85 


Monmouth,  James,  Duke  of — 
Attempt  to  seize  throne,  182,  1 83 
Burial  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula, 

24,  188 
Execution  of,  186-188 
Imprisonment  in  Bell  Tower,  83, 

185 
Marriage  of,  181,  182 
Passed  through  Traitor's  Gate,  6 
Personal  characteristics  of,  181 
Rapid  rise  of,  182 
Rules  of  life  of,  183,  184 

Monmouth,  Duchess  of,  181,  182 

Monson,  Admiral,  212 

More,  Sir  Thomas,  9,  77,  78 

N 

Napier  of  Magdala,  Field-Marshal 
Lord,  Constable  of  Tower,  60, 
61,  249 

Nithsdale,  Lord,  84,  85 

Nithsdale,  Lady,  85 

Noreys,  Henry,  124,  125 

Norfolk,  Hugh  de  Bigod,  Earl  of, 

57,58 
Norfolk,  Duke  of,  122,  126,   130, 

131,  133,  152,  162 
Norfolk,     Thomas    Howard,    4th 

Duke  of,  204,  205 
Northampton,  Earl  of,   Constable 

of  Tower,  99 
Northumberland,    Waltheof,    Earl 

of,  231 
Northumberland,     Henry     Percy, 

Earl  of,  17,  18,67 
Northumberland,     Henry     Percy, 
Earl  of,  "  The  Wizard,"  37,  38 
Northumberland,     John     Dudley, 
Duke  of — 
Ambitions  of,  144,  145 
Apostasy  of,  153,  159,  160,  236 
Arrest  of,  151 

Buried  between  two  Queens,  143 
Execution  of,  153-156 
Forsakes    Lady    Jane    Grey    for 
Mary,  151 


INDEX 


321 


Northumberland,     John     Dudley, 
Duke  of — 
As  guardian  of  Edward  VI,  144 
Intrigues      against      Duke      of 

Somerset,  145,  146 
Lodged  in  Bloody  Tower,  152 
Passed  through  Traitor's  Gate,  6 
Proclaims      Lady     Jane      Grey 

Queen,  151 
Prisoner  in  Beauchamp  Tower, 

26, 153 
Renown  of,  144 
Succeeds  to  Duke  of  Somerset's 

position,  151 
Trial  of,  152,  153 
Nottingham,  Earl  of,  195 
Nottingham,  Countess  of,  197,  198 


O 

Orleans,  Duke  Charles  of,  7,  8 
Oudenarde,  Giles  de,  Lieutenant  of 

Tower,  61 
Overbury,  Sir  Thomas,  19,  21,  69, 

253 
Oxford,  John  de  Vere,  Earl  of,  44 


Partridge,    Nathaniel,    Gentleman 

Gaoler,  159,  250 
Penn,  William,  70 
Percy,  Sir  Ingram,  29,  30 
Percy,  Sir  Thomas,  29,  30 
Perkin,  Henry,  183,  184 
Perrott,  Sir  John,  251 
Peter  the  Great,  46 
Peyton,    Sir   John,    Lieutenant   of 

Tower,  68,  197,  199 
Poole  (de  la  Pole  or  Pole),  Arthur, 

29, 250 

R 

Raleigh,  Sir  Walter — 
Accused  of  compUcity  in  Arabella 
Stuart  Plot,  173 


Raleigh,  Sir  Walter — 
Asks    to    be    transferred    from 

Bloody  Tower  to  St.  Thomas' 

Tower,  34,  176 
Considerately     treated     by     Sir 

George  Harvey,  68 
Discovers  principle  of  distilling 

fresh  water,  23,  175 
Dishke  of  Sir  Wm.  Waad,  68 
Escapes     assassination     by     Sir 

Thomas  Wilson,  70 
Execution  of,  179,  180 
First   imprisonment    in   Tower, 

170-172 
Friend    and    feUow-prisoner    of 

Earl  of  Northumberland,  17 
Hated  by  James  I,  173 
Imprisoned  in  Brick  Tower,  39, 

176 
Invents  Balsam  of  Guiana,  177 
Leads    disastrous    expedition    to 

Guiana,  177 
Marriage  of,  34,  169,  170 
Ransom  of,  172 
Second  imprisonment  in  Tower, 

174 

Supplanted  by  Essex,  198 
Third  imprisonment  in  Tower, 

178 
Writes  History   of   the   World, 

176 
Raleigh,  Lady,  169,  170,  174-176, 

179, 180 
Rame,  Wm.,  30 
Randulph,     Bishop     of     Norwich, 

Constable  of  Tower,  57 
Roper,  Margaret,  78 
Redesdale,  Lord,  299 
Richard  I,  3,  57 
Richard  III,  15,  16,  36,  39 
Ridley,  Bishop  of  London,  16,  17, 

66 
Rievaulx,  Abbot  of,  29 
Robinson,  Sir  John,  Lieutenant  ol 

Tower,  70,  257 
Rochford,     Lord.       See     George 

Boleyn 


322 


THE  TOWER  FROM  WITHIN 


Rochford,  Viscountess,  12,  1 39-141 
Rookwood,  Ambrose,  38 
Ros,  Colonel  Lord  de,  71 
Rotier,  John,  254 


Salisbury,   Robert   Cecil,   Earl  of, 
228, 230 

Salisbury,  Countess  of,  12,  13,  242 

Salvin,  architect,  5,  298,  299 

Skeffington,    Sir    Leonard,    Lieu- 
tenant of  Tower,  66,  219 

Skelton,  Sir  Bevil,  Lieutenant  of 
Tower,  70,  71 

Slaughter,  Wm.,  murderer  of  two 
young  Princes,  15,  16 

Somerset,   Robert   Carr,   Earl   of, 
19-21 

Somerset,  Edward  Seymour,  Duke 
of.  Lord  Protector — 
Buried  between  two  Queens,  143, 

Characteristics  of,  144 
Committed  to  Tower,  145 
Downfall  attempted  by  Duke  of 

Northumberland,  145 
Execution  of,  147-151 
As  guardian  to  Edward  VI,  144 
Passed  through  Traitor's  Gate,  6 
Popularity  of,  146,  147,  149 
Prisoner  in  Beauchamp  Tower, 

26 
Restores  dress  and  privileges  of 
Yeomen  Warders  of  Tower,  95 
Trial  of,  145,  146 
Somerset,  William  Seymour,  Duke 

of,  34,  64,  208-212 
Southampton,  Earl  of,  194-197 
Stafford,    William    Howard,    Vis- 
count, 254 
Stuart,  Lady  Arabella — 

Attempted  escape  of,  210-212 
Committed  to  Tower,  213 
Death  of,  213 
Illness  of,  210 
Imprisonment  at  Vauxhall,  209 


Stuart,  Lady  Arabella — 
Marriage  of,  209 
Proximity  to  throne  of,  208 
Visits  her  husband  in  Tower,  209 
Suffolk,  Henry  Grey,  Duke  of,  151, 
I57>  1585  162,  163,  201-204, 
209 


Talbot,  Sir  Gilbert,  277,  295,  296 

Talbot,  Thomas,  32 

Taylor,  Sir  John,  299 

Throgmorton,  EHzabeth.  See  Lady 
Raleigh. 

Traquair,  Earl  of,  86 

Tremaine,  Edmund,  80 

Tullibardine,  Wm.  Murray,  Mar- 
quis of,  86,  255 

Turner,  Mrs.,  20,  21 

Tyrrel,  Sir  James,  15, 16,  53 

Tyrrel,  WiUiam,  31 


Victoria,  Queen,  5,  60,  119,  234, 

237,  288,  298 
Vyner,  Sir  Robert,  277,  280,  296 

W 

Waad,  Sir  Wm.,  Lieutenant  of 
Tower,  19,  68,  75,  76,  176, 
223-225,  230 

Wakefield,  WiUiam  de,  35 

Walsingham,  Sir  Edward,  Lieu- 
tenant of  Tower,  130,  135 

Walter,  Archbishop  of  York,  Con- 
stable of  Tower,  57 

Walters,  Lucy,  181 

Warner,  Sir  Frederick,  Lieutenant 
of  Tower,  83 

Warwick,  Thomas  Beauchamp, 
Earl  of,  25 

Warwick,  John  Dudley,  Earl  of^  27 

Webb,  Mr.  Charles,  Exhibitor  of 
Regalia,  297 


INDEX 


323 


Wellington,  Duke  of,  Constable  of 
Tower,  44,  49,  51,  52,  58,  59, 
62,  100,  298,  299 

VVentworth,  Lady  Henrietta,  186, 
187 

Wernher,  Sarah,  297 

Weston,  Richard,  19,  21 

Williaml,  2,  3,  52,94,  231 

William  II,  35 

William,  Archbishop  of  York,  Con- 
stable of  Tower,  57 

Wilson,  Sir  Thomas,  Lieutenant  of 
Tower,  69,  70,  178 

Wolfe,  General,  10 


Wood,  Field-Marshal  Sir  Evelyn, 
Constable  of  Tower,  48,  61, 
62 

Worcester,  Edward  Somerset,  Mar- 
quis of,  23 

Wren,  Sir  Christopher,  9,  37 

Wriothesley,  Lord  Chancellor,  226, 
227 

Wyat,  Sir  Thomas,  13,  d"],  79-82, 
133,  162 


York,  Richard,  Duke  of,  15, 16 


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A     000  030  589     6 


